The Eternal Path, Part II: Citadel of Elohím
by Kankokage
Summary: Ten years have passed, and peace abounds - until the nightmares of Alicia Anders suddenly turn real. The Sorrows are appearing again on Earth, and they seek the Citadel of Elohím - a search that will shake the foundations of existence down to the core.
1. Prologue: The Event

**BLEACH, THE ETERNAL PATH – PART II**

**CITADEL OF ELOHÍM**

**A FANFIC BY KANKOKAGE**

**PROLOGUE – THE EVENT**

_I do not own Bleach, which is a copyright of Tite Kubo, bless his heart. Please don't plagiarize. Thank you._

A sliver of light passed through the slit in the red velour curtain covering the window of the loft, and the young man lying on the bed gave a heavy sigh as this light crossed his eyes. This light then reflected off his cornea as he slowly opened his eyelids, this reflection passing onto the floppy, fluffy teddy bear strapped by his arms, and the young man gave a second mournful sigh.

"I'm sorry Bear…" he whispered in a gentle tenor, his hand raising and brushing several strands of his long, unkempt brown hair out of his face. "I guess the sun wanted to wake you up too, huh?"

"Still sleeping with a teddy?" asked a scratchy, cruel voice directly above the young man on the bed, and he lazily raised his eyes to see a man dressed in a black overcoat hovering three feet above him, his body floating horizontally, parallel to the young man. Gray, silver hair hung down from the man's pale, almost grey-skinned head, partially shadowing his pointed nose and red eyes in the already minimal light of the loft.

"Reaver…" grumbled the young man, his brown eyes falling to the side as to not look into Reaver's dark, crimson eyes. "You don't think I have the guts to finish this?"

"Well, you're still lying here, aren't you Noble?" replied Reaver in a grisly tone. "The others are concerned that you, the Firstborn, are not heartless enough, that you were changed too early in life, too young…"

"Yeah, well…" muttered Noble, his eyes still turned away. "I grew up here, I know a lot of the people in this city. It's not an easy thing…"

"The Gemelos are thinking about exterminating you from the enclave because of your hesitation," interrupted Reaver. "They are beginning to regret granting you such prestige. I agree with them, frankly; the Citadel of Elohím is too important an artifact to leave to someone like…"

"Hey, I'm going to do it, all right?" retorted Noble, this time turning his eyes back and looking into Reaver's unpleasant face.

"For you sake I hope you do," replied Reaver after a moment, and just as soon as he had appeared he was gone, leaving Noble alone with Bear and the silence of the loft apartment.

"Dammit Reaver…" cursed Noble under his breath. "If you want it done so badly, then why don't you just do it yourself. I don't even care if I'm in the wake; in fact, I would like it. Then you could call yourself the Firstborn and deal with all this garbage…" Noble sat up and scratched his head mid-yawn, stood up to his feet, grabbed a leather bag with a long shoulder strap and placed Bear inside.

An hour later Noble stood slumped to one side as he stood atop a large hill amidst the cedars and firs overlooking downtown San Francisco, California. The unusually clear day was warm and sunny, only a few clouds in the otherwise spotless sky, and below the tall, bustling city seemed buzzing and full of life as Noble gazed mournfully upon the land of his youth.

"Never in a million years would I imagine myself in this situation," said Noble aloud to Bear, whose fluffy small torso and head were sticking out of his shoulder bag hanging near his waist. "I always thought I was a normal kid, Bear…at least until the Change. It felt so liberating, so wonderful to be freed from my pain, my sorrow…but when I realize that what has happened can never be undone, when I accept that what my mind now understands cannot be forgotten, I know that there is no other way."

Noble fell silent for a moment, looking down at Bear as if listening for a response, and in this state he stood for nearly a minute before giving a heavy, sorrow-laden sigh.

"So it is with all of us Phasma Peiors…" said Noble softly, a tear coming to his eyes as he spoke, rolling down his cheek as it grew. "The profane existence, but the knowledge and drive to delve deeper into reality, to find our source. Sorrow can only be shattered with truth, and that is what we seek, Bear. We seek truth."

Upon completion of his words, Noble straightened his posture and raised up his hands until they were perpendicular to his body with the palms open, facing the city below.

"Truth shall set you free," declared Noble, his brown eyes now beginning to shine with a bright violet glow, illuminating his tears as they fell. "But first the truth shall make you…" Energy began to ferociously collect upon his palms, the ground below shaking with instability.

"…suffer."

The energy on Noble's palms burst outward, leveling the trees below, carrying onward and blasting into the city. Cars, trains, buildings…everything was blasted away, crumbling with a tumultuous din of a dying, splitting world. Moments later, however, all was silent, the whole of downtown San Francisco ripped apart and swept away from the force, all of its residents destroyed, only bare, lifeless dirt in its place, smoothed out for miles and miles across the bay to the Pacific.

(break)

"NO!" cried out Alicia Anders as she woke with a start, her pillow and nightgown drenched in sweat. Beside her, Aiseki Kennomichi opened his eyes and slowly turned around only to find his wife nearly in tears. Pale moonlight lit the room with an eerie palette of blues and grays from the Soul Society night, and each bead of sweat glistened like a faint star rolling down Alicia's face.

"Another nightmare?" asked Aiseki softly, placing his hand up onto Alicia's shoulder in an effort to calm her.

"Y-Yeah…" stammered Alicia, still shaken even though several moments had passed since awaking. "They've been getting fewer in number though far more intense…but this one…" Without another word Alicia got out of bed, replaced her nightgown with her shinigami's uniform and walked towards the door of their house.

"Wait!" called out Aiseki, still in his warm, comfortable bed. "Where are you going?"

"I have to check on something," replied Alicia as she slid the door open to the side. "I'll be back soon, just go back to sleep honey." Alicia did not hesitate nor delay her steps one whit, and with that she was gone leaving Aiseki alone, and within seconds he fell back asleep despite his wishes to wait.

Outside, Alicia stepped quietly and lightly across the lawns of their yard and out into the Sereitei streets like a specter, successfully passing by several shinigami on nightly patrols without their even noticing her. For many minutes she ventured thusly, her speed increasing steadily as she briskly walked, and as she rounded a corner near the Bureau of Technological Development, a facility maintained and operated by Squad Twelve, she finally caught the attention of a guard on patrol.

"Stop! Who goes there…?" started the guard, brandishing his spear until he realized the identity of the woman approaching. "C-Captain Anders…forgive me…" The guard immediately bowed as Alicia walked silently past him, her only recognition being a slight wave of her hand as she walked by. Within seconds she was at the entrance of the Bureau, and with a deep breath she opened the door and stepped inside.

Over the last ten years since Alicia first came to Soul Society, many upgrades had been made to the Bureau, but the basics of the center – namely, the monitoring systems on the Real, or Mortal world, were largely the same. These systems came into view as Alicia stepped into the monitoring station with its usual residents – all of whom were very unusual in their appearance.

"Oh, good morning Captain Anders," said Akon, a bored-looking shinigami with three short, peculiar horns on his forehead. "What brings you to the Bureau so early? The sun isn't even up yet."

"Have there been any disasters on Earth in the last hour?" asked Alicia bluntly, stepping up without invitation to the wall of computers and screens. "San Francisco…is it still there?"

"Let me check, Captain," replied Hiyosu, the green, bulbous, non-human and bizarre-looking shinigami seated at one of the screens. Hiyosu's fingers disappeared into a blur as he typed.

"Thank you," replied Alicia kindly, and after a few seconds Hiyosu's voice spoke up.

"Other than a few little hollows near the Golden Gate bridge, everything seems to be fine," he replied. "I'll send a shinigami their way to take them out."

"Very good," replied Alicia with a smile as though she cared about the hollows, but inside she felt much relief. With a respectful bow Alicia turned around and left the Bureau, and soon she was back home in bed with her husband.

_It seemed so real this time…_ thought Alicia as she lay in bed waiting to fall asleep again. _Before it seemed like a fantasy, but this time, I was sure it was real. I just want them to stop; ten years is far too long to be having these dreams, and after this one I'm not too sure they're just coincidence._

_Something bad is happening – and I'm scared._

Meanwhile, back at the Bureau, a strange white blip appeared on the screen in front of Hiyosu. It was in the eastern outskirts of San Francisco, and Hiyosu sighed as he saw it.

"Akon-san, the new software is malfunctioning again," said the strange shinigami. "Same signal strength, same color…"

"It's been happening for months now," replied Akon in a bored voice. "I've asked Captain Kurotsuchi to look at it, but he just insults me and walks away whenever I do."

"And now it's gone," declared Hiyosu unexcitedly as the white spot vanished. "I guess I should just ignore…them…" Hiyosu's voice slowed to a crawl as the map on the screen shifted to Great Britain where another white dot appeared – though five times as massive and growing.

"What the…?" started Akon, stepping up and leaning towards the screen. Below, Hiyosu began typing frantically as his eyes bugged out with excitement, and Akon gulped before speaking again.

"This can't be a malfunction…"

**Next: CHAPTER ONE – UNTIMELY NEWS**

**BONUS!** Hey there! Welcome to Citadel of Elohím! I'm so happy you are here, and I hope you enjoy my story! Just so you know, this is the sequel to The Viajante (hence the Part II…), and you REALLY need to read that one first before starting this one. Seriously, nothing will make sense unless you do.

Also, I'm going to be giving the comical bumper idea another shot in a couple chapters, and hopefully it will also make some seemingly nonsensical things make a little more sense (cough, Renji being a captain, cough).

The first full chapter will be out soon! Super exciting! Since this story takes place ten years after the end of The Viajante, I am taking considerable liberty with certain aspects of the Bleach canon. If you hate my decisions, I would still like it if you read it anyway, because I actually do think this is kind of good and worth reading…kinda. Now then, keep watching the skies!


	2. Chapter 1: Untimely News

**CHAPTER ONE – UNTIMELY NEWS**

_24 hours earlier…_

"These damned Japanese funerals are so freaking expensive!" complained the wildly orange-haired Ichigo Kurosaki aloud and annoyed as Orihime Inoue, Uryuu Ishida and Yasutora Sado, or Chad, blushed in embarrassment at Ichigo's obtuseness. "Two million yen? What the hell is with that! It was free for him to die!"

"Ichigo, not so loud!" countered Orihime awkwardly, turning her head from side to side to see if anyone in the Karakura City funeral home was watching. Indeed they were, and the pointed Uryuu grabbed the offending brochure out of Ichigo's hands in an attempt to prevent any further outbursts.

"If we don't have the money, then we'll do something else," said Chad softly, dressed as he always was with tight pants and a flowery Hawaiian-style shirt, his long unkempt hair covering most of his eyes and face towering over six feet in the air. Chad's physique had improved significantly over the last ten years, though aside from being older in their twenties not much had changed amongst the close friends.

"But Chad…" started Ichigo, turning around, his face turning from upset to sympathetic as he sat in his best suit and tie. "We can't just…"

"I think dusting the ashes out to sea would be fitting," continued Chad, turning his gaze out towards a window on the far side of the funeral home. "Don't you agree?"

"I guess, but…" said Ichigo. "I thought we wanted to do something a little more, you know, formal."

"I like Chad's idea!" exclaimed Orihime, standing up in her lovely light rose-colored summer dress with her arms raised happily above her deep, tender copper hair. "Such majesty, to be sent out to the sea! Ooh, I can only imagine what ashes could do out there, what incredible sights they would see…! If they were MY ashes, I would certainly drift out to Hawaii, or Tahiti, though I can't speak any French…but maybe I would just send a few ashes here and there and then I could exclaim out to everyone that ORIHIME INOUE IS ALL OVER THE WORLD!" Her arms still raised triumphantly, Orihime stopped speaking and looked back towards her lifelong friends, all of whom stared blankly for a moment before turning back to the funeral business.

"I'll have to agree with Chad and Inoue, Ichigo," said Uryuu, adjusting his glasses, followed by a brief straightening of his fine black Italian suit with white shirt and tie. "We've already taken care of the cremation, but we don't have the kind of money to do a burial of any kind. I also think there is a sort of romantic feel to it…"

"Fine, fine," agreed Ichigo with a shaking of his head. "So where did you have in mind, Chad?"

Several hours later the four, now joined by Ichigo's father, Isshin, dressed in an almost frat-boy quality suit and unshaven face, and Ichigo's two younger sisters Yuzu and Karin, both tall and very pretty, all stood atop the rocky cliffs of Izu Jogasaki in the Shizuoka prefecture. These cliffs stood directly above the open ocean stretching infinitely to the east, and as the group waited for the wind to die down a little Ichigo took a breath and began to speak.

"It's weird," he began, his voice astute and somber. "With all we've been through, I began to think that death could only come through battle. I mean, that is such a stupid way to think, but I can't help that it happened. We've been through so much, we've seen so much darkness…yet so much light; I really thought that somehow, we would all live forever."

"You're not entirely wrong, son," added Isshin, removing his left hand from his pant pocket and stroking his chin while looking into the beautiful coastal sky. "Death is merely a step forward into a new life, and from there life continues onward. I guess that is to say, there is no such thing as death and disappearance, only transition."

"Anyway," continued Ichigo, nodding in agreement to his father's words. "I know that we aren't being separated forever, and that we'll be able to see each other just as we did before…though in a different form." Uryuu then picked up the metal urn, took off the lid, and gently tipped it forward, allowing the wind to drift into it and draw the ashes into the updraft, scattering them into the wind like a freshly extinguished fire.

"So long, Chad…" said Ichigo, lowering his face and closing his eyes. "You surely died as you lived, with perfect charity…"

"Charity is the pure love of God," said Chad softly, now standing next to Ichigo, the chain attached to a hole in his chest clanking in the air while his charred and burnt remains drifted in the wind out to sea. "Thank you, Ichigo; I think this is perfect."

Ashes continued to drift out of the urn, until at last they had all left the vessel and were now in the air, spreading thinner and thinner across the sea. For many minutes the group stood in silence, remembering their friend and comrade, and little by little they began to disperse and go their own ways until Ichigo and Orihime were left with Chad's spirit.

"I'm glad Uryuu came," said Chad with a slight smile as he gazed into the early afternoon sky across the ocean. "I was really worried he wouldn't be able to."

"He was lucky to get the time off," replied Ichigo, likewise gazing outward. "It's a long flight from Italy, but he has to go back right now."

"Even so, I'm glad," continued Chad. "So, should we do it right now?"

"If that's what you want," said Ichigo heavily, almost emotionlessly.

"Sado…" said Orihime, tears now welling up in her eyes despite a warm smile on her face. "I'm sure everything will be fine, and I know we'll be able to visit you again."

"Yeah," answered Chad, though inside he knew this was unlikely if not impossible until their own deaths; neither Ichigo nor Orihime had visited Soul Society in over ten years, and general communication between them and the shinigami had been very sparse, even from Rukia Kuchiki.

"Hey," said Ichigo suddenly, disrupting Chad's line of thought. "I know what you're thinking; we haven't had any dealings with Soul Society, so you think we won't be able to see you again. But that won't be the case; if I need to, I'll make reasons to go there." These words lifted Chad's heavy heart, and with a smile and a nod he agreed with Ichigo, who reached into his pocket and pulled out his substitute shinigami badge that he pressed against his chest. As though pushing himself out of his own body, the shinigami Ichigo stood in his spiritual form before Chad, his zanpakuto Zangetsu in his hand with the point of the blade stuck in the ground. The form of this sword had been changing ever so slightly over the last decade, morphing from a rather plain claw-like sword of ridiculous length to a more refined, more slender saber of the same length but with half the width. Ahead, Chad knelt down upon the ground and took a deep breath before speaking.

"Thank you for doing all of this, Ichigo," said Chad once more to which Ichigo nodded briefly before raising his sword and gently placing the end of the hilt against Chad's forehead.

"So long, Chad," said Ichigo softly, a tear finally coming to his eyes. "We'll see you…" A bright light burst from the ground beneath Chad, and within seconds he had vanished, the only sign left being a small black butterfly that hovered and flapped its wings, sailing away and out of sight, thus leaving Orihime and Ichigo alone on the cliffside, the only sound being the constant crashing of waves upon the rocky shoals.

"Let's go, Orihime," said Ichigo after several moments, wiping his cheek with the sleeve of his suit coat. "Let's pick up the kids and go to the park." Without another word or waiting for a response, Ichigo climbed back into his body, turned around, and walked back towards the tiny hatchback parked back on the roadside.

"Ichi…?" started Orihime, but before she said anything else she nodded in the affirmative and followed her husband to their vehicle.

The long drive back home ensued, but within a couple hours Ichigo and Orihime Kurosaki were back in Karakura City, their five-year old daughter and two-year old son with them in the park nearest their home on the west end of the city, not terribly far from where the two grew up, but far enough away to give them a sense of solidarity. The park was relatively empty this day, the only other guests being a jogger or two on the far end away from where the two small children were playing while their parents sat underneath a tree in the descending afternoon sunlight.

"I can't believe he's gone…" muttered Ichigo to himself as he watched his children. "It's just so weird to think about standing next to your friend while attending his funeral…"

"Chad will be fine," assured Orihime as she watched her children. "I'm sure the shinigami will welcome him with a big feast!"

"That would be nice," agreed Ichigo, laying his head down upon the ground beneath the tree. "I'm sure with how he lived – and died – they will give him a hero's welcome." While the two spoke, the children ran off behind a grove of trees, prompting Orihime to stand up to retrieve them.

"How many time do we have to tell them…" she started, but after only a moment the kids come running back at full speed.

"Mom!" shouted the little girl with a large smile on her round face beneath a mop of spiky orange hair and two deep brown eyes. "There are two angels in the park!"

"Oh, silly Akahana," laughed Orihime as her daughter ran up and embraced her mother. "What game are you and Kenji playing now?" Orihime continued to laugh – until Kenji likewise ran up to her and spoke.

"Angel ma ma!" the short blond-haired, brown-eyed boy exclaimed exuberantly, with no sense of silliness or playfulness in his voice. "Holy angel ma ma!" Kenji then extended his arm back towards the grove of trees and pointed his finger as intensely as he could.

"We're not playing!" countered Akahana. "There really are two angels in the park! I saw them with my own two eyes!" Akahana made circles with her thumbs and forefingers and placed them on her face like glasses as she spoke, and Ichigo decided to investigate.

"I'll go see what they're talking about," he said lackadaisically, standing up and brushing a few flecks of dirt and plant matter from his trousers. "If there's an angel, then I'm sure I'll be able to see it too, right Aka?"

"I'm being honest dad!" retorted Akahana frustratedly. "I'm not playing!"

"Of course, sweetie," replied Ichigo boorishly; after all, his first-born daughter was a natural-born prankster, seemingly unable to resist to play tricks on anyone – regardless of personal embarrassment or reprise. Ichigo stepped forward upon the lush summer grass, visually stressing his movements of reconnaissance to amuse his children.

"Can you see them dad?" called out Akahana in her little girl's voice.

"I'm afraid I don't see any angels, honey," replied Ichigo from over his shoulder just as he crossed the vantage point hidden by the grove of trees where his children had disappeared earlier. "Looks like your little trick didn't…work…what in the hell?" Ichigo's head turned towards the part of the park hidden from where he and Orihime had been sitting, and his jaw dropped.

"What…who are they?"

(break)

"I can't believe you have brought me here."

The tall, slender blonde man stepped forward out of the shadows of the small, dense bushes near a small playground in the same park. His long hair swayed in the gentle breeze across his shoulders, strikingly golden against his nearly all-white outfit – a white overcoat, or cloak, split into four hanging pieces of fabric from his waist to the ground, covering his fine white shoes and handsome, impeccably clean and white trousers. Upon his chest he worse a vest of a different hue, a golden silk with very fine crystal buttons from his silver belt to his clavicle where a fine silk tie of the same color was tied around his neck, the shirt beneath being as white as his trousers. Blue, sharp, radiant eyes gazed somewhat disdainfully here and there as his stepping forward halted, exuding their sapphire brilliance upon all they saw, and his pointed, British nose sniffed the air as if seeking a scent.

"So, this is Japan?" asked the man in a heavy, refined British accent reminiscent of Wales. "For some reason I thought it would be…different. Seems so much like La Cuarta…"

"Well, the Asian cultures were originated in La Cuarta," declared another voice, this belonging to a man with a trimmed goatee sitting upon a swing in the playground, this man not quite as tall – though equally handsome – with long, shoulder-length brown hair that fell somewhat shaggily across his forehead to his eyes, these being deep, green as an emerald, and piercingly calm and peaceful. His raiment was different from the first man; his white coat buttoned up with round crystal in the front down to his silver and crystal belt, flaring outward in a similar style fraying into four sections to his feet. White shoes of incredible quality shod his feet, and the same white trousers covered his legs. Below the coat near his neck he wore a fine silk, pure white tie above a fine white shirt, and the collar of the cloak was clasped together with an ornate diamond-and-silver clasp, two ribbons attached to the sides of the clasp tucked under the collar and protruding out the back like two thin, slender wings of silver and white for several feet – giving him the appearance of some heavenly being.

"But I thought La Cuarta was more of a Middle Eastern influence…" continued the first man.

"It is now, Jasper," replied the second man. "But a few hundred years ago it was Asian."

"Ah, I see now," said Jasper, folding his arms and nodding his head approvingly. "You are wise, Commodore."

"Please, Jasper," said the first, getting off from the swing set and walking towards Jasper. "I know that you are new to the First Holy Commission, I know that your rank is Officer, and I know that I am the Head Commodore of Jizengensei. But please, call me Declan."

"Forgive me, Commo…or shall I say, Declan," said Jasper in an apologetic tone with a bow, both of which incensed Declan further, but elicited no response from the Head Commodore. "I am still beside myself with joy to serve under thee…"

"HEY!"

Declan and Jasper both became silent as the third voice interrupted them; there, a distance away along the long grove of trees stood a tall, spiky orange-haired adult, his arm outstretched and his finger pointed directly at them.

"What are creeps like you doing here?" continued the man, immediately recognized by Declan as Ichigo Kurosaki. "You scared my kids and made them think they were seeing angels, you lowlifes! And what are grown men doing playing on a swing set? That's just weird!"

"Is that the guy?" asked Jasper in a low tone to Declan, not turning his gaze away from the still-shouting Ichigo, now cursing aloud about how the two weren't answering him.

"Yes, that's him," replied Declan with a warm smile, his heart alight at seeing his comrade from ten years earlier with whom he had stopped Ryojin Valhalla's diabolical plans.

"What's wrong with you?" shouted Ichigo angrily. "Look at me when I'm talking to you, you little…"

"Ichigo Kurosaki," declared Declan with a smooth dulcet tenor, bringing a complete halt to Ichigo's rant. "It's been a long time."

"Wait…how do you know my name?" asked Ichigo, striking a defensive karate position as Declan and Jasper began approaching him. "Hey! Don't get any closer!"

"I guess you wouldn't remember, would you?" said Declan, opening his arms outward as he walked as though preparing for an embrace. "God didn't erase my memories, but I'm sure he erased all of yours; after all, what happened back then was never supposed to be. It would only be natural for God to set things back into their regular and natural motions."

"Not another step!" growled Ichigo, his stance still firm. "Orihime! Protect the kids!" Back beneath the tree Orihime had already gathered her children, and with these words Declan and Jasper stopped their approach.

"Shouldn't you be worried about other, more important things than us?" asked Jasper in a somewhat derogatory, insulting tone to Ichigo. "If you are who Declan claims you are, then certainly you would sense the approaching danger."

"What are you guys threatening me?" shouted Ichigo, switching his stance to more of a Kung Fu position. "I can take you both on!"

"Forgive Jasper, Ichigo," said Declan. "He isn't known for a tender tongue. But he is right. You should be more attentive to your surroundings."

"What are you talk…" started Ichigo, but it was at that moment that he felt it – the darkness, the heavy, stifling dread that only came when a Hollow was approaching, and from the feel of it this was no small Hollow, not by a long shot.

"Dammit!" growled Ichigo, turning around while clutching his substitute shinigami badge, ready to place it against his chest as the massive Hollow materialized behind him. It was massive, half the size of a Menos Grande, and far larger than anything he had normally seen on Earth in the last decade. Serpentine in shape with numerous snake-like scales each the size of a car, the Hollow let out a terrifying cry from the fanged maw in its bone mask that rattled the earth all around.

"That is a big one, isn't it," muttered Jasper to Declan under his breath while Ichigo transformed before them. "How interesting for Gillian of such power to venture into the Mortal realm."

"It should be obvious as to why," replied Declan, Ichigo already launching into battle with the enormous Hollow. "I worry for the protection of Orihime and the children. If you would, Jasper."

Ahead Ichigo flew up into the air and let out a battle cry before slicing down his zanpakuto towards the snake's head, but his weak sensory abilities let him down for a moment, as his strike was not enough to more than dent the mask.

"Whoa…you're not the kind of Hollow we get here normally, are you?" asked Ichigo in amused amazement at the failure of his strike. "If that's the case, then I'll have to hit a little harder!"

"Get out of my way, trash!" growled the snake in a horrifying, hissing bass voice, shaking its head and knocking Ichigo to the ground below where he crashed hard upon his backside. "Compared to these two scrumptious morsels, you're not even worth an appetizer!" Undaunted by Ichigo's resistance, the snake Hollow blasted across the ground at top speed towards Declan and Jasper.

"Hey, stop!" cried out Ichigo, worried that these two strangers were about to meet their doom. "DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH THEM!" Despite Ichigo's cry, the snake continued onward, oblivious to Jasper's now outstretched hand and smiling face as the blonde man spoke.

"Seventy-eight, Evisceration."

Jasper's fingers extended outwards for half a second as he finished and lowered his arm, and the Hollow snake came to a complete and total stop. Silence rained in upon the scene for several moments, and as though a mighty, invisible katana had been slashed through it the snake Hollow's mask split in two vertically and the Hollow vanished into a blur of energy and spirit.

"Whoa…" gasped Ichigo, amazed at the insane show of power from this figure he had never seen before – nor could he even sense spiritually.

"To be honest, Jasper, that is the first time I have seen that priesthood used," said Declan, smiling and gently applauding his subordinate. "To see it in action…you truly are a prodigy!"

"Thank you, master," said Jasper with a courteous bow. "I've learned from the best."

"How…" muttered Ichigo, still aghast at what he was seeing. By this point Orihime and the kids were already running over to their shocked and distressed father, and as they neared Orihime gasped as she saw the two strange men.

"See mom? Angels!" exclaimed Akahana, then noticing her father's limp, spirit-less body upon the ground. "But why is dad on the ground like that?"

"Daddy's fine," comforted Orihime, knowing full well her children couldn't see their father in his shinigami form.

"Orihime Inoue, or I should say Orihime Kurosaki," declared Declan kindly with a bow. "You look absolutely stunning. And these are your lovely children, Akahana and Kenji. I am very pleased to see you again."

"Ichi…who are these men?" asked Orihime cautiously to her husband while guarding the children with her arms.

"We are not your enemies," answered Declan before Ichigo would speak. "This I can assure you. In fact, at one time we fought together and entrusted our lives to one another."

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Ichigo annoyedly, stepping over to his wife while still in shinigami form. "But now that I have you here, you're going to answer some questions for me! First, how did you know about the huge Hollow?" Ahead of him Declan gave a frustrated sigh, but after a moment drew a breath to speak.

"That Hollow was a powerful Gillian, almost an Adjuchas," answered Declan, drawing a shocked response from Ichigo and Orihime. "It came here seeking Jasper and me."

"Second!" exclaimed Ichigo angrily, his tone showing his dissatisfaction with the answer. "You guys can see spirits, and my children can see you; and then you killed that Hollow with pretty much no effort at all! You are clearly spiritual beings, but I can't sense you! Who are you?"

"A fair question," replied Declan calmly. "We are Holies, beings from the Premortal realm. This is only the first time in five thousand years that a Holy has ventured into the Mortal realm, and as you can see mortal eyes can see our forms. You are correct that we are spiritual beings, just like you, but we also have the ability to completely mask our reiatsu, a trait that has come in quite handy since we wish to have no effect whatsoever on the spiritual health of your city and family." Ichigo was silent for a moment before scratching his head in confusion.

"Okay…" he started, his tone showing dubious feelings about Declan's story. "Suppose what you said was true – which I'm pretty sure its not, seeing how it's full of weird words and stuff – but how would that Hollow be coming after you? I can't sense you at all; how could it?"

"It sensed us because, unlike most shinigami, Hollows use their complete sensory range to detect spirits," replied Declan so smoothly that Ichigo could not deny him. "Never underestimate the power of smell, Ichigo. We Holies reek of spirit power, though our bodies aren't actively or even passively emitting it."

"Please, Ichigo," pleaded Jasper, breaking the topic with a tone of sincere intent. "Calm down and hear us out; we've broken the laws of nature just to be here, all just to find you."

"To find me?" asked Ichigo, subconsciously pointing to himself. "Why would you need me?"

"You are a former Head Commodore of Jizengensei," replied Declan plainly without any guile whatsoever. "And the Sorrows are returning to Earth, but I think it would be good to get somewhere less conspicuous. May we go to your home with you while we explain all of this?" For a moment Ichigo hesitated; two complete strangers, dressed like lunatics, wanting to go to his home. It didn't seem right, but as though his will had been subjugated he withdrew his sword, climbed back into his mortal body (his children were quite amazed as their father practically came back to life before their eyes while the angels seemed to be talking to thin air), and nodded his head in agreement.

"I guess we can do that," said Ichigo, placing his arm around his wife. "You did take out that big Hollow, so I can't imagine you being bad guys."

"Ichi, can we trust them?" asked Orihime under her breath. "Something about them seems so familiar, but at the same time I'm really nervous and worried about this…"

"I noticed the familiarity too," whispered back Ichigo, all while Declan and Jasper smiled warmly at them waiting for a response. "But they know so much, I think we should give them a little chance."

"Dad, are the angels coming home with us?" asked Akahana, interrupting her parents' discussion.

"Angels?" asked Declan, blushing at the descriptor used by the little girl. "My dear, we may look it, but were aren't angels; we're Holies. This is Jasper Reed, and I am Declan Greenleaf. I am very pleased to meet you."

"Orihime, kids, get to the car," commanded Ichigo, his wife and children immediately following his order and running off to the car, after which he turned his attention back to the Holies while writing down an address on a small piece of paper from his suit pocket. "You'll have to get there yourselves. Don't take too long." Ichigo handed the paper to Declan then turned around and walked towards the car, where he got in and drove off leaving Declan and Jasper alone in the park.

"I'm surprised he caved in so quickly to your request," mused Jasper, taking the paper from Declan's hand and reading the scribbles upon it.

"I'm not," replied Declan with a smile. "They've forgotten about our past, but little by little they are remembering, you'll see. Ichigo and Orihime…they are unique and powerful, far more powerful than you or I."

**Next: CHAPTER TWO - A NEW LIFE**

**BONUS!**

Don't be hatin'. Just sayin'. If you read The Viajante then you know I don't tread lightly with the type of topics presented in this first chapter. If you didn't read The Viajante, then you should before reading any further in this one. Seriously.

As a side note, my mind hasn't been right lately, and getting through this chapter involved correcting some 5000 typos. (One of which I just barely fixed in May 2011...)


	3. Chapter 2: A New Life

**CHAPTER TWO – A NEW LIFE**

_Later that same day…_

Ichigo Kurosaki gently lifted back the delicate, lightly colored curtain covering his front window, peering through the opened slit of view, his brown eyes darting from side to side as he watched. About two hours earlier, the wildly orange-haired father had given directions to the two strange men dressed in white in the park to his home, a decision that, at the time, seemed perfectly reasonable. Now, however, Ichigo was panicked, feeling in his mind that he had just consigned his family to some gruesome fate that would be picked up on the nightly news.

"Daddy?" asked the timid voice of little Kenji from behind. "What outside daddy? Angels outside daddy?"

"Uh, no…" replied Ichigo hesitantly, a passing jogger stealing his breath attention for half a second. _Thought it was him…_ thought Ichigo, giving a brief sigh before resuming his scanning.

"Mom says to come to dinner!" called out Akahana from the little kitchen of the Kurosaki residence. It was a modest home for a modest budget in Karakura City; Orihime stayed at home with the little ones for the most part, though visits with her high school friends were common. As such, the house was neat – though somewhat eccentrically designed along with Orihime's personality.

"Yeah, yeah…" muttered Ichigo instinctively, though in reality he hadn't heard a word his daughter said. For several moments Ichigo sat in silence, his vigil kept with shrewdness and inexplicable twitching at every outside movement.

"Ichigo, come to dinner," called out Orihime from the kitchen. "I made a special meal for our guests tonight!"

"What?" cried out Ichigo, turning around with blazing speed. "You actually think I'm going to let those creepy perverts in the house with the kids?" At the entrance to the kitchen, Orihime put her hands on her hips, and Ichigo felt his body tensing in the face of a potential scolding.

"Now Ichigo, you're the one who invited them here," said Orihime in as serious a tone as she could muster. "Don't you go being a bad host and reject them when they get here."

"But Orihime, I didn't know what I was doing!" complained Ichigo with his hands in the air. "It was like it wasn't me telling them to come over! I never wanted them to…"

A sudden rapport at the door halted Ichigo's words, and slowly, trembling he looked behind his shoulder towards his white painted, wooden door. Another knocking sounded, and Orihime gave a short sigh.

"Get the door, Ichi," she said, trying not to sound frustrated at her childishly frightened husband, then switching her façade to a smiling one. "I'll go set the plates!" Orihime vanished into the kitchen, leaving Ichigo alone to solve the door dilemma. A third rapport came to the door, and Ichigo gulped and tiptoed towards the window where he lifted back the curtain – only to see the smiling face of Jasper Reed staring back at him from the other side.

"GAAAH!" screamed Ichigo, hurdling backwards.

"Goodness Ichigo!" cried Orihime from the kitchen. "Just let them in!"

Outside, Declan waited near the door while Jasper, having now concluded that Ichigo indeed was home, became impatient.

"He is afraid of us, methinks," grumbled Jasper followed with a heavy sigh. "I told you we should have been more gradual in our initial approach."

"That's because you don't understand him," retorted Declan, his body still facing the door politely, his face not showing any signs of discontent. "Ichigo is the kind of man you have to be upfront and direct with; he doesn't like to be goaded or handled, and he prefers the straight-up truth to anything else. Besides, he's just behind the door, panicked about letting us in."

"But why won't he open it?" asked Jasper. "He gave us his address simply enough. Why would he suddenly become so fearful?"

"He invited us because, deep inside, his spirit recognized who we were," replied Declan. "During pasaje, the infantile and relatively ignorant soul is split into two portions: the eternal side, which retains memories of Jizengensei, and the natural side, which grows and develops like a little child. In the Mortal realm, the intrinsic nature of the eternal spirit is blocked out, forcing the natural, developing, and more powerful part of the spirit to grow. Without this block, a spirit stagnates and ceases to develop. As such, anything that resonates with the eternal part of the spirit will conflict with the developing portion, causing fear and anxiety until truth is established."

"You make it sound as if we, the Holies, were a pack of fools," grumbled Jasper, turning towards the door with his nose held high and proud. Declan, on the other hand, observed his Officer and gently laughed.

"Is it not so?" asked Declan with a smile, but before Jasper could respond the door opened, and Ichigo, his face heavy and faced towards the ground, drew a deep breath to speak, but only uttered an awkward, uncomfortable whisper-like drawl.

"C-Come in."

"Why thank you, Mr. Kurosaki!" exclaimed Declan, traipsing into the house with a long stride and large smile. Jasper, followed him in, though far less exuberantly as he judged the tiny home surrounding him.

"Is this truly the abode of a former Head Commodore?" mused Jasper disapprovingly as he observed and turned his nose towards Orihime's peculiar design choices.

"Jasper, watch thy tongue!" scolded Declan with a quick retort before turning back to Ichigo who was now leading them towards the kitchen where Orihime waited with a huge smile and clasped hands.

"Welcome!" she exclaimed happily, trying to hide a similar – though far more subdued – nervousness at having these two kind, handsome strangers in her home. After all, aside from close family, the Kurosaki's hadn't had strangers in their home – ever. However, despite their fears and worries, Orihime – and Ichigo as well – were determined to be good hosts. Jasper and Declan were their invited guests, and they didn't want to tarnish their reputation in the neighborhood as a fine family.

Moments later around the dinner table the scene was quite different; Ichigo slowly ate his dinner, a curious concoction of Orihime's involving chicken, black bean puree, celery sticks, green peppers, and some carrots shaved into thin shards. Orihime and the kids were plowing into their servings with the voracity of piranhas, and Declan, being a good guest, likewise appeared to be enjoying his meal with a warm smile and plenty of approving noises while chewing. Jasper, however, wouldn't even look at the plate, his face screwed up in disapproval and refusal to acknowledge even the existence of Orihime's cooking.

"Is there something wrong with your food?" asked Orihime after swallowing a bite. Jasper vehemently shook his head, careful not to let the sight of his plate enter his field of vision.

"Holies aren't accustomed to the food of the Mortal realm," answered Declan with a charming tone. "Although, Jasper is merely being stubborn and obstinate. Eat, Jasper."

"But Declan…" started Jasper, his tone whiny and nasal, but a single look from Declan, a piercing, fatal look, halted Jasper's words, and nearly stopped his heart.

"You will eat, Jasper," said Declan, his voice warm but his message horrifying to Jasper. "Ichigo Kurosaki was kind enough to invite us into his home, and Orihime Kurosaki was kind enough to prepare us dinner. Now…eat." Jasper began to tremble, and very slowly he took a bite and swallowed, his eyes clenched with tears dripping out from the sealed eyelids. Across the table, Declan smiled and nodded towards his Officer, now taking a second labored bite.

"I've got to admit, you guys sound like you're insane," declared Ichigo suddenly, drawing all eyes (except for Kenji and Jasper, his eyes still clenched) upon him. "Holies, Premortal realm…what is going on here? Why are you guys here in my house, eating my wife's delicious cooking?"

"I can assure you that we are not among the insane," answered Declan. "Sometimes, however, I wish we were. You see, something bad is happening in the world, and we are here to ask your assistance."

"Oh yeah?" replied Ichigo, taking a drink of water before speaking again. "And what do you think I can do for you 'angels'?"

"He still doesn't remember," observed Jasper after taking several large drinks of water to wash down the food, enough to empty his rather large glass. "I think we had better start working on a new plan…"

"Have faith, Jasper," replied Declan before turning his attention back to Ichigo. "I guess I should start at the beginning. You see, about two years ago I lost track of Lucian." Ichigo's attention perked up at the mention of the name "Lucian", and his eyes widened as his focus increased on Declan, looking at him now not as a crazy stranger, but someone incredibly important and meaningful to him.

"Lucian…" repeated Ichigo softly. "I've heard that name before…"

"He is Lucian Francis," continued Declan, sadness creeping into his voice, revealing his sorrow for losing track of his old master. "He fought with you against the Fallen Ones, and he gave his life so we could defeat Ryojin Valhalla, the Viajante." Suddenly Ichigo stood up, bumping the table as he rose, his face beginning to sweat and his eyes screwed up in total complete shock. The memories of the Viajante, the Holies, the Fallen Ones, the many memories that had mysteriously vanished…all of them were back, every last iota.

"What are you doing here!" gasped Ichigo. "Declan…what in the hell is going on? Is the Viajante back?"

"No, he isn't," replied Declan calmly though with melancholy. "But I've lost track of Lucian, and on top of that, the Sorrows are returning."

"Sorrows?" asked Orihime, the memories also beginning to return to her, though with far less intensity and fear as seen in her husband.

"Yes, Sorrows," said Declan. "When God took me back to Jizengensei, he told me many things of the future, but he also informed me that Alicia Anders, wife to Mark, or Aiseki as you know him, had become a Sorrow during her battle with Ryojin."

"What's a Sorrow?" asked Ichigo, his voice toning down slightly. "Is that like a Hollow?"

"In a sense, yes," replied Declan, taking a sip of water as he spoke. "But while the Hollows are the enemy of the shinigami, the Sorrows are the enemy to the Holies, and to God. Alicia apparently defeated the fledgling Sorrow inside her shortly before you, Orihime, and I appeared in Soul Society…but it was not killed. Somehow it survived without a body, and it is now in the Mortal realm."

"And it has been recruiting," added Jasper, now recovered from his debacle with dinner. "We have reason to believe that at least two more Sorrows have been formed."

"Wait…what is a Sorrow exactly?" pressed Ichigo again, unhappy with the answer given.

"It is a being of darkest emotion," said Declan stoically. "A rare creature, a diabolical terror usually only seen once a millennia, born of sorrow and despair, drawing power from the negative feelings, and obliterating life as it destroys itself. Sorrows are born in the human, the Hollow, the shinigami…even Holies and Gods."

"Since the First Sorrow, only five Sorrows had come into existence," said Jasper, holding up his hand with his fingers extended. "Two humans, a Hollow, a shinigami, and a Holy. We aren't sure how they are created, but each one has caused great calamities wherever they went. Fortunately, all five were killed shortly after their transformation."

"That's why we are here," concluded Declan, looking up into Ichigo's eyes. "I have to believe Lucian's disappearance and the Sorrows are related."

"But…" started Ichigo. "I've never seen one of these things before. I've only battled the Hollows…"

"That's not true," said Declan, his sullen face now showing a small, wry smile. "Of all God's children that currently live in the pre-Eternal realms, you, and you alone, are the only one who has faced a complete, fully developed Sorrow…and killed it."

(break)

It began as a mere disturbance, nothing more than a fluttering across the surface of the pool, hidden in shadows and ladders of sunlight sneaking through the broken stonework above. This disturbance then grew, slowly and deliberately, so gradually that one wouldn't normally notice the changing amplitude of the ripples and waves. However, this day someone did notice, and a smile came to Aiseki Kennomichi's handsome face as he stood patiently by the pool in his complete shinigami uniform with his zanpakuto Awaregeken sheathed at his side.

"Here he is…" muttered Aiseki to himself with a smile. Below, the water became further disturbed, and like a sudden fish jumping out of a pond, Chad splashed out of the water, gasping for breath as his naked body shivered in the cool breeze wafting in from the open door to the chamber. Aiseki quickly wrapped a towel around the discombobulated and barely-conscious Chad, and gently led him by the hand out of the shallow pool.

"Where…" stammered Chad, his lip trembling as though in the Arctic. "Where am I…?"

"Calm down, calm down…" said Aiseki, trying to comfort Chad with his tone. "You're in Soul Society now."

"Soul Society…" started Chad, temporarily unaware of his state. "Why would I be in…oh, yeah…" With realization Chad's body ceased to tremble, and lucidity and logic returned to his heart and mind.

"It's good to see you again," continued Aiseki. "It's been ten years since we met."

"Yeah, I remember," said Chad slowly, his face hung low in realization of his death. "During that strange event…"

"Yeah," replied Aiseki warmly. "Now then, let's get going."

"Wait…" said Chad suddenly, looking up at the handsome face of Aiseki Kennomichi. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to take you to Seireitei," replied Aiseki. "It was decided that, due to your service to Soul Society, you are to be granted immediate training as a shinigami. You are going to be in my squad, Chad, under Captain Jyuushiro Ukitake."

"But…" started Chad, a little shocked at hearing his fate. "I don't have a zanpakuto…"

"That's what you think," replied Aiseki with a smile while handing Chad a black kimono robe, the uniform of a shinigami. "Now then, put this on; we need to hurry along. Others are going to be coming out of this pool naked; in fact, the next one is a pretty girl from America, and we don't want people thinking you're a pervert, right?"

"That wouldn't be good," replied Chad, the honor from his youth still alive and well. Quickly the two vacated the chamber, the outside looking like an ancient Egyptian stone tabernacle set in the forest south of South Rukongai, the vast southern quarter of the outer city of souls.

"Don't worry about the weird feelings," started Aiseki as the walked. "It happens to everyone. Normally people find old rags people leave there for clothes, or lonely people wait around there for newcomers to create families and friends."

"How did you know where I would appear?" asked Chad as the two walked through the woods. "And when?"

"Spirits enter Soul Society in various locations determined by the order of their death," replied Aiseki, taking in the lovely scenery and temperature. "Believe it or not, considerable order exists in the realm of death, and we have the ability to know when and where a person will appear when they die on Earth. Sometimes two or more people come through at once, usually families that perish together at the same time."

"I see…" said Chad, pondering what Aiseki had said. The rest of the walk was fairly silent; Chad was still trying to internally deal with this change from mortal life on earth to the Afterlife, and even though he had felt he had a good grasp on life and death through his experiences with Ichigo, having this change come to him personally was difficult to digest and comprehend. While in this state, the long journey back to Seireitei seemed short, and the two emerged through the open southern gate guarded by Hikonyuto into the Court of Pure Souls. A throng of busy shinigami appeared before them, each tending to their own duties, but shortly the noise died down as each of them gazed upon the newcomer with Aiseki.

"Yasutora?" Chad turned to the right to see a beautiful young woman, short and petite, with large violet eyes and bobbed black hair. "Sado!" Immediately the woman ran up to and embraced Chad, who for the first time since arriving smiled while placing his hand on top of her head.

"Hey, Rukia," said Chad, happy to see his old friend again for the first time in many years. "It's good to see you." Rukia released Chad from her embraced, and looked up into his face with a huge smile upon her own.

"I heard you are going to be in my squad!" she exclaimed happily. "I think you'll love Captain Ukitake; he's the nicest of all the captains, and then there's Aiseki who you already met…oh I'm so excited!" Rukia began to laugh girlishly at the thought of having Chad in her squad, but above, Chad was lost in thought as he observed the many happy, smiling faces at his arrival.

_She's so happy to see me…they all seem so happy…_ he thought to himself as Rukia continued jabbering away with things she wanted to show him. _But why do I not feel happy? I mean, I'm a shinigami now; life is going to be good, I'm going to get stronger…why am I so confused? Why…why am I scared?_

"Rukia-san, I have to take Chad to his orientation first," interrupted Aiseki. "As soon as they are done you two can go reminisce." Rukia nodded, and turned around to go back to her business.

"Have fun at the Academy!" she called out, turning and waving goodbye. "I'll see you there when you're done! Oh, and watch out for Mistress Kiria! She's…intense. See you!" Rukia then disappeared into the throng, and Aiseki and Chad continued towards their destination, the Shinigami Academy.

An hour later, Chad found himself in a large auditorium with hundreds of young students, though he towered above all of the seemingly much younger individuals, sticking out like a sore, tanned, hugely muscled thumb. The orientation was, unfortunately, absurdly boring for Chad. Unlike most of the new recruits, he knew very well of the dealings and duties of shinigami, and after the third hour of introductions and course descriptions, he found himself dozing away – until the heavily tattooed, black haired woman who addressed herself as Kiria entered the room and addressed the students.

"LISTEN UP YOU GRUBS!" she shouted, her voice echoing through and silencing the hall of students. "You think that becoming a shinigami means you hit the jackpot, and that life is going to fine and dandy from here on out! Well, you're WRONG!" Above in the seats, Chad was amazed in terror; this unbelievably beautiful, yet horrifying woman spoke with conviction and power, and each of her words stung as they entered his ears. Not even Zaraki, the lunatic captain of Squad Eleven, had this effect on him.

"As shinigami, you are to put your own lives on the line!" continued the woman named Kiria. "It is your sacred duty to protect your countrymen, your friends and family, and even complete strangers and your personal enemies from the Hollows! To do this, you have to abandon fear, and you must learn to control yourselves and the power you possess! That is why I, for the first time, will begin teaching a course to you young students on proper reiatsu control! Normally my teaching is reserved for existing shinigami, but the higher ups think it's a good idea to start younger. Now, I won't tolerate slacking off, and I won't tolerate failure! Do you understand?" With a resounding "yes ma'am" from the students, Kiria smiled and nodded before stepping out the hall and allowing the male lecturer to resume his place upon the stage.

"Man, that lady was intense…" mused the boy sitting next to Chad aloud. "But man, she's so hot…"

"Uhh…" muttered Chad in hesitant reply. "Yeah, I guess…"

While he continued on in the Academy, Aiseki was already back at his home eating dinner with his wife Alicia, captain of Squad Five.

"So Chad is now starting the Academy," started Aiseki as the two knelt upon their patio overlooking a pretty, humble pond garden. "The whole squad is abuzz over his arrival."

"So I've heard," replied the lovely Alicia Anders, her long brown hair gently waving in the light breeze. "Mark…do you remember why we stayed in Soul Society after the event?" Aiseki didn't immediately respond; while the topic had surfaced repeatedly in his mind over the last ten years, he had never once felt the need to question their decision.

"It just seemed like the best scenario," he replied slowly. "I was a shinigami, and now you were one too. Plus neither of us had family on Earth, and here we were happy…"

"What I guess I want to ask is…" said Alicia after a moment. "Why did I become a shinigami in the first place? I can't remember anything, only that one day we were at home, and the next I was in Soul Society as a shinigami. Doesn't that seem strange to you? Nobody has ever seemed to wonder what all happened, and nobody can seem to remember anything."

"I guess we all felt that there was no reason to ask," responded Aiseki, taking a large bite of rice. "Back then, we all felt such peace that we just assumed that everything was fine and good, and surely enough it was. It's been ten years since anything really bad has happened, and even the Hollows are appearing far less than normal in the last decade."

"I felt the same way too," replied Alicia, leaning back and resting on her hands. "I remember feeling such peace, such happiness…but…"

"But what honey?" asked Aiseki, noticing a change in Alicia's tone.

"Ten years ago, when I came to Soul Society…" replied Alicia slowly, staring up at the ceiling as though looking at some hidden text written upon it. "That is when these dreams started. And they've been changing; I wonder if they had anything to do with the event…"

"Who knows?" replied Aiseki, after which he smiled at his wife. "Well, I have to go back and do some rounds; I'll be home at nightfall." Aiseki stood up, walked over and kissed his wife, and left the home, leaving Alicia alone to ponder and meditate.

Later that evening, Alicia awoke from her dream drenched in sweat. The character Noble, one that had frequently appeared in her dreams over the past two years, had destroyed the city of San Francisco. Quickly Alicia left and headed towards the Bureau of Technological Development where she made a check on the status of San Francisco, but to her relief the city was unscathed. Thus relieved, Alicia left for home, while Akon and Hiyosu, two of the shinigami of Squad Twelve, continued their monitoring.

"Akon-san, the new software is malfunctioning again," said the strange shinigami named Hiyosu as a small white blip appeared on the screen, a sight that had frequently occurred before. "Same signal strength, same color…"

"It's been happening for months now," replied Akon in a bored voice. "I've asked Captain Kurotsuchi to look at it, but he just insults me and walks away whenever I do."

"And now it's gone," declared Hiyosu unexcitedly as the white spot vanished. "I guess I should just ignore…them…" Hiyosu's voice slowed to a crawl as the map on the screen shifted to Great Britain where another white dot appeared – though five times as massive and growing.

"What the…?" started Akon, stepping up and leaning towards the screen. Below, Hiyosu began typing frantically as his eyes bugged out with excitement, and Akon gulped before speaking again.

"This can't be a malfunction…"

"Should I call the captain?" asked Hiyosu.

"Yeah," replied Akon. "He'll be pissed, but this is potentially important." Below on the screen, the bright white dot persisted for several seconds, then suddenly vanished. Data started to appear on the screen beside where the dot had been, and Hiyosu's already bulging eyes bulged further.

"Something bad just happened in Hackney," said Hiyosu as he read the data. "We'd better send shinigami to check it out. The computer and sensors are giving conflicting results; I can't tell what happened from here."

"Signal the nearest roaming squad," commanded Akon, his face beginning to sweat at the thought of such a powerful spiritual force, one that registered so strongly and so oddly upon the screen. "There should be one near London."

"What are you going to tell the Captain?" asked Hiyosu, turning his green, bulbous head towards the three-horned Akon.

"First, I'll tell him not to kill me," replied Akon. "Then, I'll tell him we have a problem."

**Next: CHAPTER THREE – SORROWFICATION**

**BONUS!** If you're a member of the email list, then you already know about the super awesome art and wallpaper that Minato999, LordGale119, and others have made. If you aren't on the email list, why not join it? All email addresses are kept secret using Blind Carbon Copy (only I know your addresses), and you get exclusive early releases of content such as the super awesome artwork, plus individual word chapters. As a bonus, if you join my email list, I will be sending a complete, edited, and lovely pdf collection of all chapters of Part I: The Viajante (and possibly complete with fan art – but I need to check with the artists to make sure that's okay) as soon as I have it ready. Plus you get to talk to me via email, which is just that much closer to real life conversation. So, if you want to join, just send me a pm and I'll add you to the list.

Also, please feel free (in fact, I'm encouraging you) to send this story and The Viajante to your friends and family. I don't get a dime from this, but I do get tremendous satisfaction of knowing that The Viajante and Citadel of Elohím are loved and helping people think about life in a completely different way. I do NOT recommend printing it; The Viajante is about as long as Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince, and Citadel of Elohím is slated to be just as long.


	4. Chapter 3: Sorrowfication

**CHAPTER THREE: SORROWFICATION**

Extraordinarily beautiful was the early afternoon as the young man, dressed in dark clothing walked morosely down the London Borough of Hackney, England. All around starlings and small birds chirped, and those who were not at work were out and about at the parks taking in the glorious day. As such, the young man walked alone in a temporary ghost town; on his mind, however, was no joy or happiness, nor even a fluttering thought of the beauty around. Instead what filled his mind was sorrow and sadness as he trudged along, his face downtrodden and his eyes gazing upon the ground as he walked. His raiment was more gothic in appearance, dark and heavy fabric in both his trousers and jacket, a black t-shirt featuring the logo of "Black Sabbath". Numerous patches and iconified logos littered his clothing, giving him the look of a punk rocker, though his skin was not pale nor worn, nor was his hair off-colored and ragged as typified by that style. By all descriptions, this young man of sixteen years was quite handsome and seemingly dressed outside his regular element, with a healthy lock of curly, dark brown hair, and gentle blue eyes that gazed emotionlessly downward.

"Almost there…" muttered the young man to himself, sticking his hands in his pockets and giving a heavy sigh. "Almost there." For several minutes the boy continued in silence, unaffected by the silence around, but once he came to the newly finished Hackney Station, he stopped and raised his eyes upward to look upon the artistically designed steel signage.

"Hackney Station…" read the boy softly. Even around this normally busy train station, there was no one to be found aside from an occasional janitor and a sleeping ticket attendant. "At least no one will have to see it…" With yet another heavy sigh, the boy took to his feet again and stepped through the large glass double-doors where he stopped and looked left and right. Just as outside, the interior of the train station was practically empty, and even the usually windiness of the station was subdued as though awaiting him in his dejectedness. After this brief reconnaissance, the boy slinked over to a bench near the wall, where he sat down and leaned back, his chest almost horizontal as he reclined.

_So it's come to this…_ he thought as he looked at the steel tracks ahead off the standing path in the depression below the quay, these being his final destination. As he sat in this solitude, his mind began to drift backwards, and time seemed to stand still as he recalled his recent life, and the events that led to this fate…

_"Sam!"_

_The boy, now much younger, shorter, and lively, stopped immediately on the concrete sidewalk near his home in the gated suburbs to see a young girl from his class running towards him from behind. As his eyes graced upon her, his heart began to feel lighter – though this immediately turned into an awkward mixture of nausea and excitement as the beautiful girl approached. This was, after all, the girl he had secretly loved since he was twelve, from the very first day she moved in next door from Ireland and appeared in his class at school. Now, however, at the uncomfortable age of fourteen, this was the first time this wildly popular girl, Amelie Barnes, had ever addressed him by name like this._

_"Oh…hey, Amelie," replied Sam, his voice cracking on the word "hey". Immediately Sam's cheeks flushed red, but Amelie didn't seem to notice as she stopped, her smile unwavering. At this short distance of only a few feet, Sam couldn't help but breathe in this young teen's beauty – perfect, warm green eyes, long, shimmering, dark copper hair, fair, freckled skin, though not so heavy it was distracting. Her dress was that of a schoolgirl: a navy skirt that dropped down to her knees, a white blouse with puffed sleeves, and a feminine bow wrapped around her neck._

_"Where you doing?" asked Amelie warmly. Ahead of her, Sam immediately began to fidget while his eyes dropped straight to the ground._

_"Uh…" he stammered, doing his best not to crack his voice. "I was just heading home…to, you know…hang out…"_

_"Oh," replied Amelie. "Well, if you want, a bunch of us are going over to the Hackney Marshes to play football, and after we're going to the Pavilion Café."_

_"I love that place…" uttered Sam at the thought of eating their roast beef by the lake. "Yeah, I guess I can go…"_

_"Great!" said Amelie exuberantly. "We're all meeting in an hour at school, so you wanna walk with me?"_

_"Uh…" stuttered Sam, feeling his face go flush once again. "Yeah, that'd be cool."_

_"I'll see you in thirty minutes then," said Amelie with a smile as she then turned and walked through the gate of her home, waving her hand good bye while she got ready for the evening. Sam, on the other hand, stood dumbfounded in place, unable to move until his mind accepted what had just happened was real. However, that moment passed, and Sam leaped into the air in triumph and ran into the house._

_"Welcome home Sammy!" called out a woman's voice from the kitchen. "I saw you talking to that Amelie girl from next door…"_

_"Yeah, Mom," replied Sam, not stopping at all as he walked to his room to change for the evening. "We're going out with some kids from school tonight."_

_"Oh?" asked Sam's mother inquisitively from the kitchen, from whence the aroma of brewing tea wafted out into the house. "A date, is it?"_

_"No, Mom," called out Sam in an annoyed tone from his bedroom, where he awkwardly pulled his nice t-shirt over his head causing his springy hair to bounce for a second. "We're just hanging out. It's nothing like that…"_

_"Well, I hope you two have a great time," replied his mother. "Do have some tea before you go though; I just brewed it."_

_"Thanks," answered Sam with an unusually kind smile for a teenager as he emerged from his room, dressed for the evening of football and friendship. Sam entered the little kitchen, the walls made of fine glazed brick with an assortment of herbs hanging in one corner, while the older refrigerator whined as it cooled. Sam's mother was near the stove with the tea, dressed in jeans and a rather plain lavender blouse, her long brown hair curly like Sam's. As he entered, she turned and smiled back at him with her slender, lovely face and brown eyes._

_"So where will you be?" asked his mother as she handed him a steaming cup of tea and a scone with currant jelly._

_"Over in the marshes," replied Sam, not hesitating one nanosecond to launch into the scone. "We're going to play football and go to the Pavilion Café."_

_"Please be safe," said his mother after a moment. "But you're a good boy, so I don't expect any trouble. Call me if you need a ride home; but don't forget your father will be back a little late tonight from work, so stay out a little while and have fun."_

_"Yeah," replied Sam mid-sip. The tea was delicious, the scone was superb, and after several minutes with his mother in the lovely afternoon in their kitchen Sam emerged form the house. Stepping out to the sidewalk, he turned his head to the left, and there he saw her, beautiful and confident, waiting for his accompaniment._

_"You ready to go Sam?" asked Amelie, dressed in dark jeans and a daffodil-hued shirt, a felt, floppy bowler upon her perfect head._

_"Yeah," replied Sam with a smile, and together the two headed off for the marshes..._

Sam was jarred from his memory suddenly as a faint whine sounded from beyond the portals of the train station. With a second listen, he recognized this sound to be the train whistle of the one-thirty express from Stratford, and with this realization his heart began to beat hard and fast.

"This is it…" he said to himself, immediately standing up and walking towards the tracks, where he hopped down from the ledge and laid down upon the track, his neck resting upon one of the rails. "All the evil in my life, all the wrongs I've done…it will be washed away with my blood. And eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth…"

"A life for a life."

The ground beneath Sam began to rumble with the approaching train, and his heart suddenly calmed as he closed his eyes.

_I want this,_ he told himself silently. _I deserve this. There's nothing for it; I must pay for my sins…_

Closer and closer came the train, and more intensely shook the ground. Any moment now as the train sped towards him would it end, all the sorrow of the last two years soon to be gone. In this wise Sam calmed himself down, and even as this violent, horrific death approached him he smiled, knowing that soon it was going to be over.

"Whatcha doin?"

Sam's eyes thrust open as these childish words from a childish voice pushed him back to reality, and his eyes lighted upon a little boy with brown hair and blue eyes, standing above him at the edge of the quay looking down with a goofy, inquisitive look on his youthful face. Dressed in blue short pants and a plain white polo shirt, the child looked like a schoolboy wandered away from class in truancy. For a slight moment Sam lay dumbfounded up at the boy, but this moment passed quickly as Sam realized the boy's head was sticking outward as he looked down, and surely the train would kill him too.

"Get out of here!" shouted Sam at the boy, waving his arm to signal him to flee, but the boy simply stood there and smiled.

"You want to die, don't you? That's too bad…" said the boy, his tone foolish and juvenile…but so penetrating and powerful that Sam's attention was rapt to it completely and immediately. "I think I could help you…"

"W-what…?" stammered Sam, now oblivious to the train now only a few dozen seconds away. "What are you talking about?"

"I have answers, Samuel Apcar," replied the boy, his eyes connecting with Sam's and jolting his very heart and soul. "Answers that no one else can give you…answers that not even God himself can give you. I know why you cry, I know why you walk alone…I know why you want to kill yourself here and now, Samuel. I know you so well, and I can help you. Now then, shall I stop this train?"

Sam couldn't move, so transfixed he was upon this strange, peculiar child standing above him, speaking in tones and convictions not common – or even possible – for a child of his age. Each word like a dagger pricked his heart, drumming up terrible fear and astonishing confidence within him. Now all though of his death was fading, and were it not for the sudden blaring of the train whistle he would have completely forgotten that his death was now seconds away. Before the train could strike his neck, however, he gave a short, curt nod, and the little boy above smiled.

"Good choice."

As though two lights had been turned on inside the boy's head, his eyes began to glow bright and violet, this same light leaking through his mouth as he smiled and turned towards the fast approaching train. The boy then raised his arm and hand, his palm towards the oncoming train with early returners from work, and the air before his fingers began to eerily glow, the energy rushing around his hands with the sound of a cyclone.

The energy collected and brightened, and without warning the shining ball of light dispersed, a beam of force shooting out of the boy's hand in its place. This beam was invisible, but in the fraction of a second that Sam was watching he could still see it as it bended the light around it, distorting the air and indicating its position. Sam's brain could barely register a single neuron's firing about this aspect, however, for almost as soon as the burst of dense energy left the boy's hand it came into contact with the train engine.

A most horrific sound dominated Sam's senses, blinding his remaining senses with the force of the destruction before him. Ahead, the invisible beam of condensed energy tore through the train like a warm knife through butter, splitting the steel and shattering every last fragment of the vehicle and its occupants like a shoe stepping upon a dry, dead leaf. Into the air scattered the shards, and like a biblical hailstorm the debris, ripped papers, and shattered bones pelted upon the ground, shaking the earth for a moment until it had all settled. Deeper inside the station, the janitors took off running in terror, while the ticket attendant woke up from his slumber, his jaw dropping at the sight. The train was gone, blasted completely away, not even a single part recognizable for what it was…yet here was this little boy standing upon the quay, with a punk teenager lying on the tracks.

"Y-You there!" shouted the attendant into a microphone, his voice echoing throughout the empty station. "What just happened?" The boy did not reply, rather he turned his head towards the attendant's glassed-off booth, the boy's eyes glowing violently as before. Immediately fear ravaged the attendant's senses, and he too bolted out of the booth and out of the station as if Hell was coming to Earth. Below, on the tracks, Samuel's eyes nearly flew out of his head in their shock and fear.

_This kid…just tore the express apart…?_

"Now then, I have saved you," said the little boy to Samuel, the boy's eyes reverting back to a normal state, a wry smile upon his young face.

"W…what the hell are you?" shouted Samuel, getting up in a hurry and leaping onto the quay opposite the boy. Sam's finger pointed at the boy as he stood, trembling so violently that it never locked onto its target, and Sam demanded once again. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU?"

"Why, whatever do you mean?" asked the ten year-old inquisitively. "I'm just a boy like you!"

"Don't give me that bullshit!" shouted Samuel, his whole soul trembling in terrible fear at the sight of the ruined train and murdered passengers. "You just killed everyone on that train! It was me that was supposed to die, not them!"

"But I did this for you," replied the boy calmly. "After all, you agreed to have me save you, did you not?"

"I didn't expect this…" stammered Sam, feeling almost in a state of shock; whereas normally he would have followed suit with the janitors and attendant, here he was arguing with this boy, this…thing…that had just ripped an entire train to shreds with seemingly nothing at all. "I got scared, and I started to not want to die anymore. But now…"

"Now what?" interrupted the little boy, his tone switching from childish to cold, adult-like and harsh. "You want to kill yourself even more? What if I told you that you too could have this power, this power to right the wrongs, this power to seek the truth?"

"Just answer the damn question!" shouted Sam at these words, tears now welling up in his eyes, his heart filled with sadness and fear upon hatred for this boy. "What are you, and why did you do this?"

"What am I…" mused the little boy with a smile. "To be honest, I don't know that myself. What I do know, however, is that I can help you. Your sorrow can be felt all across this world, Samuel; oh yes, I know all about you and your fears. I know all about Amelie, and I know all about your despair revolving around her memory. I know how you live alone, how you ran away from your parents, how they perished in an accident…and I know of the strength your soul possesses."

"You…you know about…?" gasped Samuel, aghast at the boy's words.

"Samuel, I am called Gemelos," said the boy firmly, his eyes flashing briefly with violet as he spoke. "I am what is known as a Phasma Peior, a glorious being of tremendous power and majesty, and you and I are destined to be brothers. You are not alone, Samuel; I am here to help you grow past the futility of mortality and the emptiness of its answers."

"What are you…" began Sam, stopping to swallow a hard lump in his throat as sweat poured down his face. "What are you talking about?"

"The reason you seek death," continued Gemelos. "It is because you do not know the truth; none of us knows the truth, but unlike these mortals, unlike all the beings of existence…we seek the truth in its completeness. Sorrow can only be shattered by truth, Samuel, and I can help you find that truth."

"Truth…?" asked Sam, his body suddenly beginning to feel faint as the shocked state began to wear off. "Truth about what?"

"About everything," answered Gemelos. "About Amelie, about pain, about suffering, about joy…" Something in Gemelos' words somehow reached Samuel, despite the horror surrounding him, and for this split second he began to waver in his fear, this wavering instilling a seed of courage and confidence in his soul.

"You can help me…find truth?" asked Sam after a moment. "You would help me know why Amelie…?"

"Everything," said Gemelos with a smile. "In the beginning is where truth is formed, and it is the beginning where truth can be found. But before you can seek truth, you must desire change. Do you desire change? Do you desire to have the power to create this change yourself?" Sam shakily nodded his head, and Gemelos smiled.

"Then close your eyes, and listen."

At this moment, despite the sudden and intense feelings to run away and reject this boy, Sam decided to follow Gemelos' call. At the moment of this choice to follow, Sam felt all the warmth vanish from his body and soul, leaving him feeling cold and stale, lifeless despite a heartbeat, and vacant despite his thoughts. Nevertheless, in this empty and devoid state of being Sam closed his eyes, his mind clearing out like wind pushing away the fog from a valley. There, in the darkness of his cleared, cold mind, a whisper sounded, faint as the scratching of an ant's leg upon the soil, yet so loud that he could not mistake it.

_Give in to your sorrow…become the sorrow…let it overwhelm you, let it destroy you…then let it rebuild your soul, free from the shackles of God…_

"Yes…" said Gemelos, his boyish voice exceeding the limits of creepiness in tone. "Give in to the voice…" Ahead, Sam's face cringed as his eyes remained close, his visage looking as though he were in pain while the voice inside continued taunting and tempting him.

_Everyone lives without struggle, so freely and oblivious…they do not know your pain, your true sorrow…you hate them, you want to destroy them…and above all, you hate God, and you must destroy God…_

"God…?" muttered Sam, shaking his head with his eyes still closed. "W…why would I want to destroy God?"

_He is the one who wronged you, He is the one who took her away!_

"N-no…" stammered Sam, tears again pouring out of his clenched eyes. "It was me…it was me…" Sam then grabbed his head with both hands in agony at which point he fell to his knees. Despite these futile attempts to quell the pain, however, the voice inside pushed further, growing so loud and so powerful that it rattled every fiber of his being, every inkling of his soul.

_GOD STOLE HER FROM YOU!_

"No…please…" said Sam, his eyes wrenching themselves opened as he kneeled, and his voice sounding for a second, final time as his sorrow devoured his soul completely.

"NOOOOO!"

Black smoke and light quenching vapor ejected like a volcano from his mouth, his scream curdling and vanishing into the dark obscuring fog. This black cloud then enveloped Sam, rotating rapidly like a tornado, and the force of this rotation began to affect the surroundings. Papers and other various litter around the emptied train station flew around erratically, and Gemelos' brown hair began to be blown around from the tempest. Several moments this chaotic and tumultuous state continued, the swirling clouds of blackness surrounding Sam maintained, but after these moments a sound came from within the dark column of vapor.

It began as a whimper, childish and weak, and as this whimper continued the vapors vanished, revealing Sam kneeling still upon the ground, his face buried in his hands and tears coursed through cracks between his fingers. Gemelos took a step forward at this juncture, but immediately stopped; a second look revealed something else about Samuel. There, intermixed with the tears flowing through his fingers, were specks of violet light, traveling a short distance within the tears as they dropped before vanishing.

"It would appear your transformation is complete," declared Gemelos as Samuel wept. "However, your behavior is most unusual; all the others were happy with their new power."

"So dark…" wept Sam, his voice distorted by his tears and emotion. "S-So dark and cold…"

"That is a new one," muttered Gemelos, his young eyes beginning to scowl. _Something is wrong; his spirit is completely erratic..._

"So cold…" continued Sam, each break marked with vocalized sounds of a crying man. "So lonely…I've never felt so alone…so…" As if suffering from a sudden, full body muscle spasm, Sam wrenched his head upward, the muscles in his arms constricting and his hands flying off from his eyes. Violet, intense light blared from his sockets, the illumination hiding all detail or his pupils and irises as his eyes gazed fully opened towards the ceiling which began to disintegrate as the light shone upon it. While in this state and with a terrifying cry of several voices he screamed out in utter terror and agony, the sounds reflecting off the train station walls and filling the station with such a cacophony that normal humans' eardrums would shatter.

"AAARRGGHH!"

The ground beneath Sam became unstable, and the air began to distort and wave as though tremendous heat were being generated around Sam's body. Quickly this distortion gained luminescence, but instead of being controlled and smooth like Gemelos, this glowing energy shot out randomly in all directions, each ribbon of glowing, vibrating energy splitting the concrete and blasting away the walls of the station. After a matter of three seconds, these ribbons had already torn apart the entire station, a rent and twisted rubble all around, but even the rubble from the destroyed station was being further torn by the onslaught of energy.

Sam's screams grew louder, his eyes brighter, and with this advent the released energy began destroying the buildings surrounding them, pushing further and further, ripping apart the borough like a nuclear shock wave. Along with this destruction Sam's body too began to be torn apart, strips of skin being ripped from his face and arms, his clothing becoming torn and tattered in the tormentuous wake. In this end, Gemelos, standing quite comfortably inside this destructive event horizon, shook his head and cursed under his breath.

"I had so much faith that you would succeed," he grumbled as Sam knelt, his body seemingly flying apart along with the city of Hackney. "But it seems I did not anticipate that you hated yourself more than God…" Gemelos stopped speaking as a third individual blurred past his vision towards Sam.

"It's okay…"

These words whispered into Sam's ear as this stranger embraced him, the glowing, chaotic energy almost immediately dissipating and dying down, until after a few seconds it had left completely. Sam's eyes then lost their violet brilliance, returning to a normal state – though filled with so many tears that they overflowed his eyelids and poured down his face as he bitterly wept into the stranger's shoulder.

"It's okay now, you're not alone," continued the stranger, a young man with long, unkempt brown hair, a plain grey polo and very dark jeans. "You don't need to be afraid; I'm here for you."

"W-who are you…?" stammered Sam, his face and body bleeding and scarred from his prior state. Sam struggled to lift his head again, but his bodily pain prevented him from doing so. As he did, the stranger patted his back and gently rocked Sam back and forth, this motion alleviating his pain and lolling him to sleep almost by magic.

"What are you doing here?" asked Gemelos coldly to the stranger. "Why aren't you in…?"

"I felt I needed to come," interrupted the young man, calmly turning his head towards the much younger Gemelos so as to not wake the beleaguered Sam. "I did not feel you were approaching this one properly, and from this result it seems I was right."

"Noble…" sighed Gemelos, shaking his little head in disappointment. "You, the Firstborn, should have more faith in your master…"

"You are not my master," interrupted Noble sharply, a look of sorrow seemingly etched into his façade, drowning out any other emotion there elicited. "You are simply my superior."

"Did I say _I_ was your master?" asked Gemelos with an inquisitive, mocking tone, then turning and walking away from Noble and Sam. "You can do with him what you will. He is very privileged to be alive, though; a fitting title, methinks. 'The Privileged'…" Gemelos continued walking away under the darkened sky, this darkness caused by the immense amount of smoke from the smoldering remains of Hackney, the destruction stretching over a mile around. All life had been extinguished in this zone, the effect being that of a nuclear detonation, the destruction to unfathomable for human tongue to describe. It was not too distant, however, another little boy, similar in dress and appearance, though with golden blonde hair upon his head, joined Gemelos as he walked. The other boy then chuckled a little under his breath, and turned towards his twin.

"So, it looks like you were wrong," giggled the blonde boy walking beside Gemelos. "We're lucky Noble stepped in, or all of London would be destroyed by now."

"_We_ were wrong, Gemelos Blanco," said the brown haired Gemelos to his blonde twin, to which the blonde boy began to laugh with a childish, demonic laugh.

"Oh, I don't know if you heard," said the blonde boy called Gemelos Blanco. "It would seem that two Holies have entered this Realm. Are you okay with that Noir?"

"That was hours ago," replied the brown haired Gemelos Noir. "It is the Head Commodore and his Officer."

"They're messing around in Japan though," continued Blanco. "They sure are retarded if you ask me."

"Indeed," replied Noir, but his tone was more of dubious nature. "Unless they have a plan."

"Not that it matters," interjected Blanco lackadaisically. "Two Holies is no match for…"

"Unless they have a plan," interrupted Noir, causing Blanco to stop in his tracks while his twin brother moved on ahead.

"You've always been such a wuss, Noir," grumbled Blanco, scowling at his brother before resuming his march.

"Just like Mother."

**Next: CHAPTER FOUR – BROTHERHOOD**

**BONUS!** There is a reason this chapter took so long. I have an emergency meeting to attend way down in Houston that I found out about just after posting chapter two, and that has taken my time (as well as starting this story out a little prematurely and taking the extra time to piece it together in my head more awesomely…is that even a word?). The good part is that I will be back on Friday, ready to work on the next few chappies…and my homework.

Also, the funny bumper will return with the next chapter! Till then, keep watching the skies and tell your friends and family to start reading The Eternal Path – unless, of course, they are wusses and can't handle the intensity.


	5. Chapter 4: Brotherhood

**CHAPTER FOUR: BROTHERHOOD**

_"GOAL!"_

_The field of schoolmates erupted into the colloquial chant as Sam scored the final goal of the makeshift game at one of the empty fields of the Hackney Marshes. True, the other team of his classmates had lost, but by all definitions it was his finest shot; a header sent straight to him from Amelie, her hat on the ground and her glorious copper hair tied back into a tight bun. From then it was a miracle, really; defender Greg Jordan had tripped on his own laces, while the goalie misread Sam's jumping kick. The ball had sailed cleanly into the ratty net, Sam landed hard on his side, and the others shouted out in awe._

_"Ow ow ow…" winced Sam amidst the tumult, grabbing his hip where he'd fallen onto the damp, green grass under the field lights and twilight of evening; for all the glory, this winning goal was more than he had expected. Pain erupted with each movement from his hip, but before he realized it Amelie was kneeling down next to him, her hand gently massaging his bruised hipbone._

_"Got yourself a shiner there, eh?" mused Amelie as she felt and prodded the sore bone. Immediately Sam's face turned bright red; he fully expected the other guys, all of whom were older, handsomer, stronger, and far more popular than he to deluge him with mocking catcalls, but instead each observed his state with what he could only venture to be a state of envy._

_"Ow!" stammered Sam, clenching his eyes as Amelie found the sorest spot. "Easy, that really hurts!"_

_"Oh my," said Amelie with a sigh after lifting up Sam's shirt a bit, exposing the redness now turning purple. "You've got a bad bruise there; no more football tonight."_

_"Aw man," grumbled Sam, wincing again as she lowered his shirt and grabbed his arms, helping him to his feet._

_"No worry," replied Amelie with a gentle smile, one that caused Sam's heart to pound. "We need to get some food before the café closes anyway. First we need some ice though."_

_"That shot was amazing!" interjected one of the boys, named Spencer. "I never knew you were such a baller!"_

_"Me either…" said Sam with a grin despite his pain. The rest of the night was wonderful; a quick stop at the corner market nearby supplied some ice and a plastic bag, these used to dull the pain and reduce the swelling at Sam's hip, and from then on Amelie helped Sam along, holding his hand while not endangering his self esteem in front of the other guys. Truly, this was the girl Sam would spend the rest of his life with, he would think after dinner at the Pavillion Café. She was so wonderful, so perfect, so beautiful…yet kinder and more caring than any other person he had ever known in all his short life aside from his beloved mother. Yes, regardless of the injury, Amelie had changed Sam's life from one of solitude outside of home to one of love and companionship, and what's more it seemed very clear that Amelie felt the same way for Sam as he did for her._

_The two began to spend more and more time together, and Sam's mother especially fancied little Amelie, as did his father. Frequently they could be seen walking briskly through school, their hands interlocked, and if one was quiet one could find them kissing behind the stairwell on the north side of school. And while virtually all teenage relationships end with a break up over silly things, not one of their classmates could ever envision Sam and Amelie splitting up. Simply too much love was shared between the two._

_Everything was grand, and life was good. Sam was no longer lonely, and Amelie had found a boy she could spend her life with. Nothing could go wrong…until…_

Sam's eyes gently opened upon his torn, tattered, though largely emotionless face. Above him the blue sky was dirtied with smoke and vapors from some unknown source, and as he tried to move his body screamed out in pain, causing him to wince and clench his teeth and eyes tightly. After this sting passed, however, he made a realization: he was being held and rocked like a little child. Such comfort he felt from this act, this gentle caress, and only two had ever granted him such a feeling. Of course, it could not be Amelie, but perhaps…

"Mother?" asked Sam generally, his voice crackling and weak. "Mother, is that you?"

"No," replied a voice quickly and curtly, a male, teenage voice. Sam's eyes ventured over towards the blurred figure holding him, though after a moment this unfocused view came into greater clarity, and Sam observed that it was a man holding him, this man's young, sorrowful face looking off in the distance towards some non-descript and unknown destination. This man could not have been much older than Sam himself, though his brown hair was long, spiky, and unkempt – a far cry from Sam's neat curls.

_This guy…_ thought Sam as he observed him. _He's the one who brought me back, isn't he?_

"How are you feeling?" asked the man suddenly, his eyes turning downward and meeting Sam's. The question was unexpected, and Sam fumbled a bit with the formation of his words before they came out.

"I-It still hurts…" stammered Sam, though his voice gained more confidence with each syllable. "My skin feels raw and burnt…"

"That it is," replied the young man, his gaze then lifting and returning to its prior focus. "The Sorrow within you was unstable, and it nearly ripped you apart – along with all of London." Sam didn't immediately respond; for some reason, even hearing these words from the young man's mouth seemed almost dreamlike. Could those memories so recently formed within his mind, the thoughts and feelings of utmost darkness and terror…could they have indeed been real?

"S…Sorrow?" asked Sam, having to take a second breath to finish his word. "What is…?"

"Do you remember what the little boy told you?" asked the young man. "He told you to listen to the voice inside, and this voice gave you a choice." Instead of being confused at this question and declaration, however, Sam grew quiet and closed his eyes again before gently nodding.

"I remember," said Sam softly. "I remember it so clearly…and I know the choice I made, but…"

"But immediately after choosing, you regretted that decision," interrupted the young man, though his words matched exactly Sam's thoughts. "I was the same, you know; but instead of letting my soul tear itself apart, I decided that maybe something good could come from all this."

"Good?" asked Sam, opening his eyes again. "I just wanted to die, and now it looks like I've made everything worse. How could any of this be good?" For a moment the young man was silent, but after this moment he gave a short, muffled laugh – not a laugh of joy nor humor, but one of depressed acceptance of reality.

"No good has come of this," he said after this laugh. "At least, not yet. To answer your question, though, a Sorrow, or Phasma Peior, is what you have become. Your soul has been unlocked, so to speak, and powers that you previously could not imagine have now come into your grasp. It is a dark existence however; there is no joy to be found in darkness, and this darkness can only be vanquished with truth."

"Truth…" repeated Sam. "That's what the boy said to me…"

"Gemelos' truth is not the same as your truth," interrupted the young man quickly, startling Sam yet again. "They are not your masters, nor should you ever heed them as such. By the way, my name is Robert, but you can call me Noble."

"Noble…" said Sam, looking into Noble's face, this saddened, sorrowful – yet kind face, and with this observation came a sort of peace into Sam's troubled heart, the first peace he had truly felt in a long time.

"The others call me Firstborn," continued Noble. "Except for Reaver…but hopefully you won't have to deal with him much."

"There are others?" asked Sam upon hearing this, but a sudden change in Noble's visage stopped him short of finishing. Something in the direction of Noble's gaze had caught his attention, and Sam could feel Noble's muscles tightening with some incoming threat.

"Lie down for a moment," said Noble, gently lifting, moving, and lowering Sam's body to the ground. "Don't move; don't do anything to make yourself appear alive."

(break)

"What in the name of…?"

The tall, handsome shinigami with messy black hair gasped at the sight before him and his comrades: total destruction for miles before them in the chaotic London suburbs, emergency vehicles blaring their sirens and workers frantically sifting and bulldozing through the wreckage. Here and there a survivor could be found, but as the shinigami stood there, unseen by the eyes of the humans around them, it was clear – something horrible had just happened, something more horrible than anything any of them had ever faced.

"Reiji, what is this?" gasped one of the shinigami companions, this a pretty girl with chestnut hair and brown eyes. "What could have done this?"

"It was something spirit-based, Kunei," replied the tall Reiji, the travelling squad leader originally from Squad Twelve of the Thirteen Protection Squads. "Nobody back home knows what it is though; that's why we're here."

"But there's only seven of us," chimed in one of the male shinigami, this a tough-looking man with cornrows and dark sunglasses. "If something spirit-based could cause destruction like this…"

"Our job is not to take on, but to investigate," replied Reiji quickly. "We'll then pass on the information to Soul Society and await further orders."

"But…" stammered the tough-looking shinigami.

"Besides, we're not exactly weaklings," continued Reiji, his lips curling into a smile. "We are the strongest travelling squad in the Real world, and two of our members, myself included, have achieved Bankai."

"Reiji-san!" called out a younger shinigami with shoulder-length black hair and a tired look in his eyes. Reiji and the others turned to see this younger shinigami now sitting several paces away from the group near the apparent edge of the destruction zone before them.

"Hanataro?" replied Reiji to Hanataro Yamada, formerly of Squad Four. "What is it?"

"The spirit residue in this rubble…" began Hanataro, his voice still sheepish over the years. "It isn't like anything I've ever seen…"

"What do you mean?" asked Kunei. "It isn't Hollow?"

"This is nothing like a Hollow," continued Hanataro, carefully observing a broken piece of rock held in his right hand. "It's nothing like a shinigami either. It's almost like…" Hanataro's words slowed and he did not finish, prompting an impatient response from his squad leader.

"Well, what?" asked Reiji emphatically. Below, Hanataro gulped audibly before drawing a breath to speak.

"It's almost like a human," declared Hanataro, to which some of the other members scoffed beneath their breaths. "Seriously, you guys; this residue has no specialization whatsoever. It feels like regular, weak human spirit…though I can't think of any way human spirit could be expressed like this. To generate so much power…it's impossible…"

"What are you saying, Hanataro?" asked Reiji who, unlike the others, did not express doubt in his subordinate, knowing that among the shinigami only Captain Unohana was a better sensor of spirit matter than Hanataro Yamada.

"Whoever did this is just a human," replied Hanataro unabashedly, after which he stood up and began walking into the seemingly endless destruction before him. "And it's likely that the human is dead."

"Wait, Hanataro!" called out Reiji, immediately stepping into the rubble after his subordinate. "Why would this person be dead?" Behind, the other five members of the team followed him in, though with some a look of fear and concern could be seen upon their faces. This wasn't the first time that Hanataro had walked headfirst into a dangerous situation; true, each time he was met with seemingly God-given luck, escaping not only without injury, but also playing the hero. Still, this was beyond what any of the squad had seen before, so naturally there was a large amount of reluctance collectively shared between them.

"It's all math," replied Hanataro, side-stepping a large piece of broken concrete. "This zone of destruction is roughly one human mile in radius, and if you measure the amount of spirit residue per square inch and back-calculate, the amount of spirit matter ejected is a little more than that of a normal human."

"What if it isn't a normal human?" asked Reiji from behind, but to this question Hanataro was ready with an answer.

"If the human was someone special like, for example, Ichigo Kurosaki, then the person would still be too weakened to even move. Humans can't withstand as much shock as a spirit, and even Ichigo wouldn't have been able to handle something like this."

"Wow…" replied Reiji, in awe at Hanataro's cleverness – though the young shinigami's unconfident voice did well to cast doubt even in Reiji's mind. Even so, his youngest and least-ranked subordinate was living up to the potential with which Captain Unohana had praised him, and even though he could not use shunpo and had a very minimal skill in combat, his discernment, field research, on-the-fly smarts, and top-notch healing abilities made Hanataro Yamada a very effective travelling squad member, one envied by many of the others stationed around the world.

"Furthermore…" continued Hanataro, though this time he stopped speaking and immediately halted his trek into the destruction. His blue eyes focused upon a spot ahead of them in the ruined streets and demolished buildings of Hackney, bypassing all the survivors and spirits now worming their way out of the wreckage.

"What is it, Hana?" asked Reiji, expecting some response for having just called the now stationary Hanataro a girl's name, but none came. Instead, Hanataro's focus became even more intense, and in a most unusual fashion the young shinigami drew his zanpakuto from its sheath.

"A mile ahead, at the epicenter…" said Hanataro softly. "I think someone is watching us."

"How can you tell?" asked Kunei from behind the two. "I can't sense anything out of the ordinary."

"I don't know," replied Hanataro, beads of sweat now forming upon his forehead as his heart began beating faster. _Did I imagine that? That sudden feeling of pure cold, so cold it froze me in my tracks…two eyes, even across this distance, so clear that I could even see the red veins within them, the incredible sorrow…_

"Maybe you're are just imagining…" began Reiji, but then he too immediately stopped, his heart beginning to pound and his eyes widening with shock as they too found the epicenter. "Such a cold feeling…like it's freezing my soul…"

"So you feel it too?" asked Hanataro turning around to face his squad leader, but by that time Reiji was already mid-shunpo, vanished from behind and racing towards the epicenter.

"Everyone, let's go!" shouted Reiji as he raced across the rubble.

"Yes commander!" shouted the group sans Hanataro in unison, and half a second later Hanataro found himself alone, unable to match their speed.

"W-Wait!" cried out the younger shinigami in distress, and with that he began to run after his squad. "You don't know what you're running towards! We should do more analysis like you said, Reiji-san! Don't just run in there! WAIT!"

Further ahead, the group of six closed in upon the epicenter, and roughly twenty yards out Reiji held up his hand and the team came to a halt. Each shinigami deftly hid behind pieces of torn buildings, and together the six were confident they hadn't been seen.

"Someone is alive in there," whispered Reiji to Kunei who was kneeling next to him behind a large slab of concrete. "I sensed it just after Hanataro made mention."

"What could it be?" whispered back Kunei. "I can't sense any abnormal spiritual presence at all, and there's too many injured spirits around to pinpoint a single one out." It was when Kunei's words ended that her breath halted with a gasp; there, a few feet away from them, huddled into a ball behind a destroyed car was a little old man, shivering and shaking as though trapped in a blizzard, a short silver chain protruding from a hole in his chest.

"Old man!" whispered Reiji as loud as he could, though his effort seemed to work in capturing the soul's attention. "What happened here?"

"That little Apcar boy…" stammered the old man, lifting his tearful face upward towards the shinigami. "He turned into a monster..."

"What did you see?" pressed Reiji further. "What did he do?"

"I only noticed it after I was dead," continued the man in a weak, whimper of a voice. "The building came down around me, and I found myself just standing here. That's when I saw that bright wave coming from where the train station used to be, and there he was – kneeling down, screaming, his body wracked like he was being electrocuted. His skin was falling off his body, and the whole city…was just torn to pieces. He must be dead by now; no one could have lived through such pain…"

"That doesn't sound like someone becoming a Hollow…" pondered Reiji. "Could a human boy really be capable of this?"

"If it was a Vasto Lorde we would have been able to detect it," added Kunei. "No one can completely mask their presence…"

"I would advise you to leave."

Kunei's words came to a halt as her heart began to pound with fear as the fourth voice interrupted them, its source beyond the concrete embankment. Respiration for both her and Reiji, not to mention the other four shinigami, nearly stopped, and again the voice spoke in a gentle tenor, though its conveyance drew out only panic from the shinigami as they heard him speak.

"It's no secret the six of you are hiding there," continued the young man's voice. "I have no desire to harm you, so please leave this place immediately. Do not try to interfere." With a gulp Reiji stood up, the sweat now pouring across his entire face, causing it to glisten in the smoky sunlight above. As Reiji's eyes crested the concrete barrier and gained view of the epicenter, he gulped again before taking a breath and addressing the speaker with as much confidence as he could muster.

"You there," declared Reiji, pointing towards a young man standing amid the remains of the train terminal with his free left hand (the right firmly holding his katana, though out of view behind the concrete). "Who are you, and what happened here?"

"I am no one of consequence," replied Noble, standing slouched while wearing dark jeans and a gray polo, his tired, sad eyes connecting with Reiji's, a cold feeling once again piercing Reiji's soul. "I can tell you that I am not Samuel Apcar as the old man said. Now then, please leave immediately and you won't be harmed."

"You didn't answer my question!" retorted Reiji quickly while shaking off the cold shock, Kunei and the others now slowly standing up from behind their hiding places. "Who are you? What happened here?" Ahead, Noble sighed deeply, turning around for a moment to check on Sam who, to his relief, was doing a splendid job of playing dead.

"I'm just a lowly human," replied Noble. "And what happened here was a tragedy in all definitions. I take no joy in the fact that so many were killed here this day, and I am sorrowful that this boy was so violently torn apart. With that, I will be going; please do not try to follow me." Noble turned around and stepped towards Sam, but as he did so Reiji's voice stopped him.

"Bakudo Sixty-Three: Sajo Sabaku!"

Out of thin air a bright chain of light appeared, and within half a second Noble found himself bound, the chain wrapped tightly around his body from his clavicle to his waist. Thus bound Noble could not move, though as he found himself thus restrained, his body turned away from Reiji and the others, he did not struggle at all against his incarceration.

"Such a high level spell…" gasped Kunei. "Isn't that overdoing it?"

"Don't you see?" asked Reiji, drawing his sword out from behind the concrete rubble. "He is fully aware of our presence, and he can hear and see us. When he looks at me, he uses some kind of power against me. He is no 'lowly human', not by a longshot."

"I am not trying to attack you in any way," called out Noble, his voice completely calm despite his predicament. "I actually apologize for the feelings of cold and sadness that you feel when our eyes meet; I'm not trying to hurt you, it's just something that happens."

"So what are you, a Hollow?" asked Reiji.

"A Hollow?" asked Noble. "Do I look like one of those bone-headed freaks to you?"

"Well, you don't match anything we have record of," continued Reiji. "And you don't appear to have any shinigami power whatsoever. I'm afraid we'll have to take you and the boy there on the ground back to Soul Society for investigation."

"I will reiterate my request," declared Noble suddenly, his voice far louder and more put out than before. "Leave this place immediately, and I will not harm you."

"Sorry," replied Reiji somewhat lackadaisically. "You are in no position to threaten us; that kido is practically impossible to break…"

"So is that a no?" asked Noble, interrupting Reiji's speech.

"Uh, I guess it is," answered Reiji. Ahead, Noble began to cluck his tongue disapprovingly.

"Then I must harm you."

(break)

"So, how does this thing work?"

Declan Greenleaf poked and prodded at the television in the Kurosaki's living room for several moments, humming and grunting to himself whenever he though he found the magical secret.

"You push the 'on' button," replied Ichigo annoyedly, his face fallen as he sat in his chair. He was not without reason for this emotional state; since welcoming Declan and Jasper into his home, they had refused to leave, now having spent close to five hours with them. Outside it was already dark, the kids were in bed, and even Orihime was having trouble maintaining her good hostess attitude as Jasper insisted on conversing with her in the kitchen about every possible concept imaginable.

"Jasper has taken a keen interest in your wife it seems," said Declan while he looked above and below the screen, after which he breathed heavily upon it looking for a response.

"That's nice," replied Ichigo hastily, having ignored most of what Declan had said. "So when are you guys going to go get these Sorrows? Something this bad must be easy to track." With these words Declan stopped trying to activate the television, and he hung his head down in shame.

"I'm afraid not, Ichigo," he said after a moment. "Sorrows, like Holies, are able to completely mask their spirits from detection, only they can take it even further than us."

"Further?" asked Ichigo, to which Declan nodded.

"Recall when we met in the park that the Hollow was able to track me and my counterpart. This is because the body of a human, a shinigami, a Hollow, and a Holy emit spirit particles at a high energy; it's not too different from evaporating water or even evaporating sweat. With spirit, however, this 'evaporated' spirit energy is in too diffuse concentrations to be detected normally. The nose, believe it or not, is the greatest spirit-detection tool available because it can detect these very diffuse concentrations, though it does require some training and practice. Hollows are very good at using scent to track their prey."

"So Sorrows do the same thing?" asked Ichigo, but to this Declan shook his head in the negative.

"Whether they are conscious of it or not, a Sorrow's spirit does not 'evaporate' like a normal spirit," continued Declan, mimicking wisps of energy flying off his arm with his hand. "I have a theory as to why that is; Sorrows, in my opinion, are continuously destroying their spirits for power, and as quickly as it is evaporating from their souls, they are destroying it. In other words, everything they give off is merely shattered shards of spirit matter, no longer recognizable or even capable of supporting a living being."

"Whoa…" muttered Ichigo, lost in thought of a soul deliberately blasting itself to pieces. "That's nuts…"

"That is correct," said Declan, nodding in agreement to Ichigo's assessment. "I came to this conclusion after reading the legends of your own encounter with a Sorrow."

"You said I faced one and killed it in a past life, right?" asked Ichigo. "What was it like?"

"Well, the details are sketchy because it happened so long ago," said Declan. "But one thing that the story said was that the Sorrow had glowing eyes, almost like they were on fire, and that this glow was sometimes seen in the mouth as well. This glow is from the energy released from the destruction of their spirits, and is said to be one of the more terrifying things to behold."

"So they turn their spirits directly into a weapon?" asked Ichigo. "That sounds like it could be pretty powerful…"

"You have no idea," replied Declan, drawing Ichigo's attention. "Keep in mind that aside from Alicia Anders and the Sorrows we are tracking, only five had come into existence since the First. With each of these five, millions of people died; in fact, the last Sorrow to emerge in the human world destroyed itself shortly upon forming, and this destruction caused a plague to spread across the European continent in what the humans call 'The Black Plague'."

"So this is bad?"

"This is very bad," said Declan with a cold tone. "And that, again, is why we are here. Now then, how do you turn on this…tele…vish…"

"Oh, the TV," chimed Ichigo, and he promptly picked up the remote and pressed the power button. "The nightly news should be on now." As expected, as the screen image appeared and the volume was raised, the nightly news was playing, though immediately a feeling of shock, surprise, and terror formed in the hearts of both Ichigo and Declan.

_FEMALE NEWS REPORTER: Yuki Chen reporting live from London, where it is rumored that a nuclear device was detonated in the Hackney Burough to the north. Specifics are still not available, but it is estimated that the dead number in the thousands._

_MALE BRITISH POLICE OFFICER: I saw it when it happened, twasn't like anything I ever seen. Twas like a bright ribbon, like what you'd see on a present or something, but each ribbon was bright and just tore through the city. Of course I wasn't nowhere near it, but I was up in the clocktower checking on some punk kids near here and got a fairly good view._

_FEMALE NEWS REPORTER: So you think it was a nuclear device?_

_MALE BRITISH POLICE OFFICER: Well, I never have seen one of them, and it wasn't as bright as people say a nuke would be. But those ribbons just tore through the town, it was unlike anything I could imagine. And then, like nothing, it just vanished. No smoke, no sound, no boom, no nothing._

_FEMALE NEWS REPORTER: No sound at all?_

_MALE BRITISH POLICE OFFICER: Well, there was this one sound, but I didn't know what to make of it, you know? Twas kinda like a screaming boy, but I thought it was some kid freaking out while looking at those bright ribbons tearing apart the town. Now I don't know what the military has down the pike, maybe they got some weapon that does that sort o' thing, but…_

"Dear God…" gasped Declan, aghast at the report on the television.

"What is it?" asked Ichigo. Above, Declan turned to him, the Holy's face completely flush with fear.

"What happened in London is indicative of a failed Sorrow," stammered Declan. "It isn't a nuclear device or anything humans or spirits could craft. They are still trying to recruit…"

"So lets go and stop these guys!" exclaimed Ichigo, getting up from his chair and drawing Jasper and Orihime out of the kitchen due to his commotion.

"But we don't have a means of tracking them!" countered Declan. "I've been trying for months now, and…!" A sudden knock to the front door stopped the argument, and Ichigo stepped towards the door, though somewhat confused as he did so.

"Who in the world could that be so late at night?" he asked himself as he unlocked the deadbolt and turned the handle. With a gentle pull he opened the door a crack, but a crack was all he needed to recognize the face on the other side. From beneath a green-and-white hat and dressed in a long grey robe over his green clothing, and upon two wooden sandals the stranger smiled and drew a breath to speak.

"I understand you are having trouble tracking someone down?"

**Next: CHAPTER FIVE: THE SCENT OF SORROW**

**BONUS!** Yeah, yeah, yeah. Long time. Well, that's how it goes sometimes. Oh, and because this chapter didn't go exactly as planned, the funny bumper isn't starting yet. But soon. Oh yes.

For those of you on the email list, Lucian is very appreciative of your comments and kind words regarding his fanfic prequel "The Eternal Path: Morning Star". Chapter two should be up sometime soon with that, and I recommend it to everyone. Not on the email list? Simply PM me and we can make magic together.

Oh, so you know, Lucian only wants the story to go out (for now) via the email list, so no list, no cool prequel story.


	6. Chapter 5: The Scent of Sorrow

**CHAPTER FIVE: THE SCENT OF SORROW**

"U-Uruhara-san?" stuttered Ichigo, completely and utterly surprised and shocked to see Kisuke Uruhara, of all people, in the doorway. After all, Kisuke and Ichigo had not had any real contact for quite some time, and even less contact after Ichigo and Orihime had moved across town.

"Hi, hi, Ichigo!" exclaimed Kisuke happily from beneath his hat. "Do you mind if I come in?"

"Uh, sure," replied Ichigo hesitantly. Kisuke on the other hand did not hesitate to stride into the little house, and as he did Orihime and Jasper both appeared at the entry to the kitchen to see the visitor. With quick movement Kisuke waltzed into the living room, where he sat down in the chair next to Declan and immediately began to peer at him with intense curiosity.

"What exactly are you?" asked Kisuke awkwardly and suddenly to Declan, who seemed taken aback at the inquisition. Above, however, Ichigo finally gained his bearings and addressed the new visitor.

"Kisuke Uruhara, this is Declan Greenleaf. Declan, this is Kisuke," introduced Ichigo, while Kisuke turned back towards him "Hey, what are you doing here anyway?"

"That's a very good question!" exclaimed Uruhara in his normal, annoying manner. "I will start at the beginning so that even you will be left without question."

"What does that mean…?" started Ichigo, but below Kisuke interrupted with his story.

"Earlier today I attended the funeral of our friend Yasutora," began Kisuke with a light, pleasant voice. "Of course, you and your friends didn't see me, as I and Yoruichi don't like to be seen when we're sad, but when you mentioned to your wife that you wanted to go to the park, I felt like, for some odd reason, that I should follow you. Yoruichi of course thought that was creepy, so I was left alone to follow you around town.

"It was as I followed you that I realized that I wasn't the only person pursuing you today," continued Kisuke, turning abruptly towards Declan. "I noticed these two strange men dressed in white, with spiritual auras unlike anything I had ever seen. Now, normally every spirit can be detected once seen, but with you two it seemed like you were completely vacant and vacuous; there was nothing there, even when I closed in upon you two, and I immediately began to worry that my friend Ichigo was in danger.

"So, I hid in a tree at the park and watched while the British fellow dispatched a Hollow in fantastic fashion. I found it humorous that your children called them 'angels', but as they did so it made me think – these two men aren't from this life, yet here was a massive Hollow able to track them down so easily. Are they angels? Perhaps, but one thing was for certain – they _could_ be detected, I just needed to figure out how.

"And so I am here now, sitting in your lovely living room in your quaint house, in the company of two of the most fascinating individuals I have ever set eyes upon in all my life. Therefore, again, I ask you: what exactly are you?"

"I…uh…" stammered Declan, unsure of how to respond to this question from this newcomer. "I am…wait, I've seen you before." Uruhara's eyebrows rose at this statement.

"You have?" asked Kisuke. "You saw me in the tree?"

"No, no," replied Declan. "Your skill at hiding is most impressive, though I'm sure Jasper still detected you."

"I figured he was just some creep and ignored him," added Jasper from the kitchen doorway.

"Rather, I saw you ten years ago when I was in Soul Society," continued Declan, brining a sudden hush of silence to the house. "Ichigo here and his lovely wife remember, but it is likely you still have no memory of it. If I was told correctly back then, you trained Alicia Anders with her zanpakuto."

"Ah…" said Kisuke softly, drawing a fan from his pocket and opening it in front of his face, blocking everything out but his eyes from Declan's view. "I know that the new Captain is powerful and wise, but I haven't ever had contact with her…"

"You trained her, Kisuke Uruhara," continued Declan. "Whether or not you remember does not matter, however. I will tell you that Jasper and I are indeed _not_ from this world, but we are your complete allies and friends tracking down dangerous individuals in your world. Now then, back to Ichigo's question: why are _you_ here?"

"As I listened through your door, I heard you say something about Hackney, England, and not being able to track something down," replied Kisuke, lowering his fan and revealing his trademark smile.

"Wait…how long were you at my door?" asked Ichigo.

"Oh, only an hour or so," replied Kisuke lackadaisically. "Anyway, I happened to find some strange data in my lab a few months ago, and I couldn't attribute it to anything in my files, nor even that of Soul Society – with exception to a supposed malfunction within Captain Kurotsuchi's equipment. The nature of this strange data has to this day completely eluded me, but I had been able to pinpoint it to at least one individual, one human, from America. When I found the man, he seemed like nothing more than an overly emotional punk rocker trying to look like Sephiroth – but after listening more to your conversation, I have reason to believe that this person is what you were mentioning."

"Punk rocker?" asked Declan, pausing for a moment before his eyes widened in shock. "You found one of the Sorrows?"

"Hollow?" asked Kisuke, seeking clarification.

"No, _Sorrow_," repeated Declan. "Since you've been able to track one down, I see no harm in telling you. A Sorrow is a normal soul transformed into a monster, turning its own spirit matter into a weapon. Their spirits are literally ripping themselves apart."

"Whatever I was detecting, it did not belong to that man," continued Kisuke. "When I found the man, he seemed completely normal – no different from any other human being. He did say some strange things, however, but again I attributed this to his being a punk rocker; only now do I realize that he was no ordinary human. His body was littered with the strange spirit matter that was documented in my lab, this having been detected when I was in Soul Society ten years ago." Without warning Declan shot up from the chair to his feet, a bizarre mixed look of joy and terror upon his face.

"Declan-san?" asked Ichigo.

"I know what you're detecting!" exclaimed Declan. "Orihime, please bring me a pencil and some paper!"

Orihime disappeared into the kitchen and emerged shortly thereafter with a plain piece of white printer paper and a red-and-pink pencil (clearly the property of her daughter), and she handed these to Declan who, upon receiving them, moved to the table and sat down.

"Even though I'm from Jizengensei, I do have a fair knowledge of a few processes in your world," started Declan, his hand moving the pencil across the paper as he drew. "One of these processes is the combustion engine, a concept that I find fascinating." Upon the paper he drew an unbelievably detailed and beautiful image of a car, as well as a V-6 engine complete with all valves, plugs, and tubes.

"That's pretty amazing what you just did there…" observed Ichigo, taken aback and amazed at Declan's drawing ability – especially considering he had done the drawing in a matter of ten seconds.

"The combustion engine generally takes a liquid hydrocarbon fuel," continued Declan, noting on the page the addition of fuel to the engine. "This hydrocarbon fuel has a huge heat of combustion, making it superior than nearly all other power sources for mobility. However, when a cold engine is started, the combustion of the fuel is incomplete; portions of the fuel are not fully combusted, and these organics leave in the exhaust. These are smaller and broken, but can be recognized – though they are no longer a 'fuel', per se." On the page Declan drew an exhaust cloud on the page leaving the tailpipe of the car, littered with the English letters VOC.

"As the engine warms up, however, the combustion process becomes better and more complete, and these VOCs vanish," continued the Holy. "The products are reduced to simple gases such as carbon dioxide and water, a far cry from their fuel source. In other words, if one was to simply analyze the exhaust of a warm engine, one would have a very difficult time detecting what the fuel is."

"So what does this have to do with the punk rocker?" asked Kisuke.

"The punk rocker is a fully developed Sorrow," declared Declan, rapidly drawing a realistic-looking man on the page, followed by wisps of vapor rising from his body. "As his spirit is destroyed, the byproducts are unrecognizable. However, when a person undergoes Sorrowfication, the torn-apart spirit will retain some of its original nature. What you detected was the spirit matter ejected from a new Sorrow, and this man had been near one when it happened. Being that everything around us is, invariably, formed from spirit matter of different quality and concentration, the spirit matter attached to him, a living being, would have been preserved for a time."

"Which means there are more Sorrows than we expected," added Jasper, stepping in from the kitchen and joining the group around the table. "That is troublesome."

"Troublesome, yes," agreed Declan. "But this is the key to us finding them."

"Smell!" blurted out Ichigo suddenly. "The Hollow found Declan and Jasper because of their scent; we can use Kisuke's knowledge to track them down by scent!"

"Correct, Ichigo," said Declan with a smile. "Likely all new recruits are being brought to a central location; with what just happened in England, the newest recruit should be arriving there soon. With the pleasant stranger Kisuke's data, and with Jasper's abilities to track, we should be able to find their meeting place."

"And bring an end to the Sorrows," stated Jasper. "We should get to work immediately."

"Using scent?" mused Kisuke, rubbing his chin with curiosity blaring through his mind. "Tracking these things down like a Hollow? I like it! I think I have an excellent means of going about this as well."

"Oh?" asked Declan, to which Kisuke nodded with a smile.

"Ichigo, please bring me Kon."

(break)

Reiji couldn't help but laugh at Noble's innocuous threat; here was this human – bizarre, to say the least, with powers unknown to Reiji and his squad, powers definitely beyond the scope of mortals – declaring he would have to harm Reiji. Such a threat seemed ridiculous – the winding binding chain spell was too powerful for any human to break, and the seeming lack of spiritual power emanating form Noble's body made it seem nigh unto impossible for him to secure freedom.

"You're going to harm me?" asked Reiji with a scornful smile. "You are bound by the winding binding chains! Only a true kido master can break these, and don't even think about using muscular strength. Escape is impossible, and you will be going with us to Soul Society."

"I will not be going to Soul Society," stated Noble forcefully. "I have no desire to move forward; the answers, the truths I seek out…these are all to be found at the beginning, and the beginning is my only destination."

"Kunei, knock him out," stated Reiji, becoming annoyed at Noble independent nature. "Use a low-level kido; we don't want to permanently hurt him."

"Yes sir," agreed Kunei next to her squad leader, and she extended her arm in preparation for the way of binding kido. However, before she could even utter a single syllable of the incantation, Noble turned around before them, exposing his face and his eyes to the lieutenant and commander, his glowing, terrifying violet eyes.

"You…how did you turn around?" gasped Reiji, his face screwing up in shock at the view of Noble's glowing, flame-like eyes. "That bakudo inhibits movement…!" Noble then opened his mouth to speak, the same violet, terrible light shining out from deep in his throat.

"You should have heeded my warning," declared Noble, his voice higher in pitch and warbled, as though the light itself were affecting his vocal muscles. "I gave you plenty of chances to escape, to leave with your lives…but your pride is too much for your own good." Reiji and Kunei, as well as the other four members of the squad, could only watch with dumbfounded stupor as the glowing chains of energy binding Noble began dissolving before their eyes.

"This is impossible…!" gasped Reiji. "No one can do that…"

"Kido…" sighed Noble, the glowing in his eyes and mouth growing slightly in intensity. "Is merely manipulating spirit matter and taking advantage of the energy within; it is a physical manifestation of seemingly invisible matter. Being a physical construct, then, it can be broken by bombarding it with higher energy spirit matter."

"He's breaking your kido?" wondered Kunei, her voice wrought with shock, but before her words could finish the winding binding chains were gone, and Noble placed the palms of his hands together vertically before them as though he were about to begin praying.

"Last chance," declared Noble to the shinigami, but instead of fleeing Reiji, Kunei, and the others drew their zanpakuto and prepared for battle. Noble, on the other hand, scowled his bright, glowing eyes, and with a heavy sigh he spoke.

"Very well, then."

With a single sweeping motion Noble parted his hands and slashed them horizontally before his body, the hands moving away from each other as if parting a heavy curtain. The motion was so quick, the effect so instantaneous, that for several seconds Kunei and Reiji had no idea what had happened; it wasn't until they heard the sounds of bodies falling against the ground behind them that they finally realized what Noble had done. Their bodies trembling, neither Reiji or Kunei could bear to look behind, knowing that only horror and blood would meet their eyes, and with this bearing in mind and as their senses gained clarity once again, both only tightened their grasps upon their swords.

"Your subordinates are now dead, shinigami," began Noble, his eyes still glowing, his voice still warbled and demonic. "Will you sacrifice yourselves to this vain ambition you call 'honor'? Your subordinates did not stand a chance against my power; do you think you can handle it?"

"You murderer!" cried out Reiji angrily. "We won't be terrorized by the likes of you! Kunei, release your Bankai! We'll use _that_ to kill this monster!"

"R-right!" stammered Kunei, trying to shake the thought from her head that her subordinates were all gone. She then raised her sword high into the air, and drew a deep breath before her shout. "Bankai!"

A rustle of wind picked up in the air surrounding the three, and as though made of loose sand Kunei's katana vanished into this wind, leaving her hand bare as the blade and hilt both vanished. Upon disappearing, the wind began to pick up, more and more with each passing moment, until a veritable windstorm had erupted around them. As this storm began, Reiji too raised his katana into the air, and like his comrade he too drew a breath and spoke loudly.

"BANKAI!"

Like a flamethrower, fire shot out of the blade, warming the air and blazing brightly before him. This fire grew and grew, and as the whips of wind sailed past it the flames were taken up by the tormentuous storm, swirling the fire around with ease.

"You will regret the day you crossed us, stranger!" declared Reiji, his eyes glowing red from the firepower within his soul. "The two lovers, their zanpakuto united as their masters! Reiji and Kunei, husband and wife, warrior and warrior!"

"Higashikaze!" stated Kunei, her chestnut hair whipped violently by her windstorm. "Wind of the east!"

"Hojigoku!" shouted Reiji. "Fires of Hell! Together they become Hokazetenma, the only dual Bankai in Soul Society!" Above them the wind and fire took shape, this being a massive, flaming Phoenix, its wings flapping slowly in the air, though with each beat a blistering wave of heat pelted the ground and Noble, who stood calmly before them, his eyes burning brightly in the red haze around.

"Please, call me Noble," declared the Sorrow to his foes. "It would do you well to know my name…

"Since you are about to perish by my hand."

"Burn him, Hokazetenma!" shouted Reiji, thrusting forward his flaming katana. True to his word, the giant Phoenix Hokazetenma lurched forward, giving a mighty beat of its wings and ejecting a veritable volcano of fire towards Noble. This fire scorched the earth and rubble, igniting even the most noncombustible material, but Noble was fast, and had already moved Sam, still lying silent and still upon the ground, out of the way behind a large broken slab of concrete. Noble, meanwhile, now stood upon a torn skeleton of a destroyed apartment building watching with his glowing violet eyes the holocaust below.

"Isn't it a bit risky to release that much spiritual energy in the Mortal Realm?" asked Noble, his voice penetrating the din of fire. "Humans are very sensitive to intense spiritual waves…"

"There aren't any humans to affect for miles," replied Reiji. "Besides, if we are found guilty of misdeeds, we have a good case on our side. Again!" Just as before, Hokazetenma breathed out a massive wave of fire mixed with wind, elevating the temperature and melting the twisted rods and crossbars of Noble's edifice, and against Noble was quick to leap out of the way.

"You're pretty fast for a human!" called out Reiji, swinging his sword forward and causing yet another breath and consuming fire from the two united Bankai. "You move like a shinigami!"

"When one understands the nature of existence and matter, manipulating one's movement across any material becomes child's play," countered Noble, his glowing eyes visible even through solid flame and fire as he had not resisted or avoided this latest attack. At once, the flames were swept aside and vanished, revealing Noble unharmed, his arm outstretched from having banished the flames away.

"Reiji?" asked Kunei desperately. "He knocked away Hokazetenma's fire away with his bare hands! We have to get our limiters released!"

"I'm already on it!" replied Reiji, having secretly texted the message to Soul Society using the cell phone in his pocket*.

"I see you two are in a moment of weakness," said Noble, overhearing these words. "I will still allow you to flee with your lives; don't waste your potential so rashly."

"We will not compromise with a murderer!" retorted Reiji, and again he slashed his sword with the same effect – and result – as before. This time, however, Noble knocked the fire away with one hand, while the other was raised into the air, glowing wisps of energy gather around the extended palm.

"Reiji?" asked Kunei, turning a fearful eye towards her husband, but with a nod he lifted her spirits. "Right!" Kunei drew back her kimono at her chest, revealing a black tattoo in the shape of a crescent moon upon her upper left breast. With a flash this tattoo vanished, as did a similar tattoo upon Reiji's chest.

"Ranrantaruken!" shouted Reiji and Kunei in unison as soon as the tattoos had disappeared. Above, the Phoenix morphed into a gigantic flaming humanoid, a dozen meters tall, in its right hand a massive, twelve-foot long blade of pure fire. Ahead, Noble's flaming, glowing eyes perked up with intensity and shock at the new shape of Hokazetenma, and for this moment he hesitated. Reiji and Kunei, however, did not hesitate, and Reiji swung down his katana towards the ground, Hokazetenma's sword following suit, the blade blasting through the air towards Noble.

"This is the end!" cried Reiji. Noble, on the other hand frowned and shook his head curtly before raising his right hand into the air directly into the path of the blade, now only feet above him and descending rapidly.

"So foolish…" muttered Noble. Above, his hand began to glow as it had moments earlier, but now the glowing wisps of energy flew upward like millions of tiny darts from his skin, and like the Red Sea the blade was parted and split, the two broken shards of flaming spirit energy falling on either side of Noble leaving him completely unscathed and unburned. Noble the gave a quick flick of his wrist, and his eyes ceased to glow, returning back to their normal, though thoroughly saddened and sorrowful state.

"What?" gasped Reiji. "How did you break…?" Reiji's words slowed to a halt as he realized that Kunei, his wife and lieutenant, was falling to the ground beside him amid a shower of blood. Above the bankai vanished, and Reiji's sword reverted to its regular Bankai state of flames.

"Vain ambition, pride, honor…" began Noble as Kunei collapsed dead upon the ground in a growing pool of her own blood. "These things lead to sadness, pain, and death. There is no way around it."

"K-Kunei…?" stammered Reiji, his eyes widened with horror as he beheld his now-perished wife, her eyes still wide with shock at the quickness of Noble's strike. _He just flicked his hand! He didn't even move from that spot! What…what kind of monster is he?_

"I will offer you, the last survivor, freedom," continued Noble, drawing a hateful and terrible glare from Reiji, the hatred building within and overwhelming his soul. "Again – do not so rashly toss your life away, as all life is precious."

"DON'T TELL ME ABOUT 'PRECIOUS LIFE'!" screamed Reiji, his face becoming awash in tears. "You murdered my comrades, my wife! I WILL KILL YOU FOR THIS!" With an intense war cry Reiji charged towards Noble, his sword held to the side as he ran and screamed, veins bulging on his forehead. Ahead, Noble closed his eyes in pity, and reopened them in the same horrifying, glowing violet state as before. Reiji raised his sword to cut him down, Noble raised his hand and flicked his wrist…

And it was over.

(break)

Alicia Anders had barely gotten home from her slow stroll through the Seireitei streets when a knock came to the door in the midnight hours. Dismayed for being bereft of yet more sleep, the lovely, dark-haired Captain walked to her door and slid it open, only to find a young page kneeling upon the ground, his head and face covered by a long, angled wooden hat.

"Captain Anders, Captain Kurotsuchi has requested your audience at the Bureau of Technological Development immediately! An emergency has occurred and he wishes for your counsel!"

"Me?" asked Alicia, a little confused at the message delivered; after all, this _was_ Mayuri the page was talking about, and Mayuri was not known to counsel with anyone, not even Yamamoto. "Are you sure you received your message correctly?"

"Without a doubt, Captain," replied the page. "It is regarding your visit earlier; something happened that the Captain wishes to discuss with you." Alicia's blood froze upon hearing these words, and she stumbled in her speech for a moment before answering.

"Y-yes…" she stammered. "I'll be right there." The page nodded gently before vanishing into a shunpo, after which Alicia was left alone in her doorway, Aiseki snoring loudly from the bedroom behind.

Back at the Bureau of Technological Development within the Twelfth Squad's barracks, Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi gently stroked the gold false chin attached to his own painted white skin, humming gently to himself while his widely opened eyes gazed almost giddily upon the monitors in Akon's station.

"Tremendous…" he mused aloud, his voice sounding overjoyed at the results. "Such power, such mystery!" Behind, the lovely Alicia Anders quietly stepped in unannounced, though despite her silence Kurotsuchi – a man she particular despised and considered impossibly creepy – noticed her entrance.

"Ah, Captain Anders!" exclaimed the blue-haired Kurotsuchi, turning away from the monitors to look upon Alicia. "Just the one I wanted to see!"

"What is this about, Mayuri?" asked Alicia. "The page said something had happened…"

"And something DID happen," interrupted Kurotsuchi, turning back around to look at the monitors. "Please, come here and watch. Akon tells me you stopped in earlier to check on a city in North America, but shortly after you left an event occurred in London, England – an event that has left me thoroughly perplexed."

"What happened?" pressed Alicia. Below, Kurotsuchi's fingers blazed across the keyboard, and upon the screen a video image began to load.

"Something happened to a young boy," started the creepy captain. "Whatever this 'something' was, it destroyed a very large area of the city. Fortunately for us there was a roaming squad nearby with one of my former subordinates as a squad leader; naturally, being a former member of my own squad, I had him fitted with spiritual emitters that allowed me to see what he saw. Of course, I did exercise restraint, and I only viewed his sight during battles with Hollows…but roughly twenty minutes ago this squad encountered a strange individual at the epicenter of this destruction."

"And what does this have to do with me?" asked Alicia, intrigued and disturbed by the news, but unsure what her part in all this was.

"I don't believe much in coincidence," continued Kurotsuchi. "At least, not any more. You came to my squad for help, found none, but as soon as you left _this_ happened. Call it a fanciful gamble, if you will, but I'm hoping that you can assist me with my dilemma. Now please, watch, and observe."

Below on the monitor, the shaky view indicatory of running scanned across the grainy screen, and for several moments this continued until at once the jarring motion stopped and the image of an old man in his spirit form communing with the man. Then , suddenly, the image jarred away back towards the epicenter, and after a very brief moment a young man appeared before the viewer.

"Hold image, magnify and enhance," declared Kurotsuchi in a clear voice. The computer did as requested, blowing up and refinishing the image of the young man. "This boy is the source of my confusion."

"That's…?" gasped Alicia, drawing her hands to her mouth in shock. "That's one of the people from my dreams! The one called 'Noble'!"

"So it seems I was right in bringing you back," stated Kurotsuchi contently. "But the name of the boy is not what is causing me this perplexion. It is…this." Kurotuschi held down a key and the image blurred ahead, but once again stopped while being focused on the boy. His general appearance was still the same, though with one major difference: his eyes.

"What is that…?" asked Alicia, leaning forward towards the screen to get a better look. Noble's eyes were now bright, shining violet, the look thereof that of a nightmarish demon from Hell, terrifying even to look at, let alone think of afterward.

"It doesn't register with any type of Hollow, nor any nether creature from the off-dimensions," continued Kurotsuchi. "I've done a thorough check in the Real world's history, and nothing even remotely appears, not even in legend and lore. What you and I are seeing is something entirely and completely new. His spirit pressure is practically non-existent, though his personal energy radiance is off the charts. It is a total mystery to me…"

"In my dream, this young man was there," started Alicia, straightening back up and lowering her voice. "He destroyed a city, San Francisco, but before he did it, his eyes glowed purple like this."

"Fascinating!" exclaimed Kurotsuchi, again stroking his beard. "You clearly have knowledge of this creature, yet you have seen it commit a deed which clearly has not occurred."

"I don't know what this means…" said Alicia. "But I need to go down there. I have a terrible feeling that something very bad is about to happen in the world of Mortals."

**Next: CHAPTER 6 – THE GATHERING**

**BONUS!** Again, my plans in this story are constantly changing. Funny bumper coming up next time…maybe. For those of you on the email list, Lucian's second installment of Morning Star is coming soon! Epic!

*For those of you still unfamiliar with Bleach, cell phones are used to communicate orders and messages between Earth and Soul Society.


	7. Chapter 6: The Gathering

**CHAPTER SIX: THE GATHERING**

A diffuse, lifeless, cold gray air lingered long around the mansion high in the Himalayan Mountains of western Nepal, drifting down the rocky crags of the peak above, and settling upon the rooftop like a ghostly mist. No other home or edifice of any type stood for hundreds of miles in any direction, and in solitude this mansion stood, buttressed against the mountainside with massive timbers for support, the yellow light expressed through the windows illuminating and burning away the mountainous fog as it drifted down past them. Beside the enormous house it was silent as the air all around, save for the whipping wind coursing around the high peaks, but a mere millimeter inside the windows revealed a warm, cozy atmosphere filled with rude, raucous laughter amid the exceedingly fine furniture and Victorian decor.

"You seriously just let him destroy the city? BA HA HA!" laughed a man coarsely from the large inner chamber of the home, designed for entertaining guests as rare as they might seem to be with this locale. "That's so like you, Noir; you don't give a shit about anyone! I love it!" Inside the chamber, several lamps burned their tungsten filaments brightly upon the small group of three men stationed around the room before two children, both seated in chairs like unto kingly thrones resting before a large bookcase. The crude man laughing stood tall and sickly in the center of the room near a small decorative table, his long silver hair bobbing in place as he continued to belt out rudely, his long black overcoat and many peculiar buckles jingling as he shook.

"It was more an act of charity, Reaver," replied the dark-haired Gemelos Noir in the chair to the right in a surprisingly adult tone. "He was destroying himself rapidly, and any intervention on my part would have only prolonged his pain and destruction."

"That is such a lie…" interjected Noble softly, standing to the far right against the wall away from the others, his dark hair hanging down and partially covering his sad, sorrowful eyes. At once Reaver's laughter stopped, and the punk-rocker-looking man scowled towards his younger and most despised counterpart. "You left him to die, that's all there is to it. You didn't bother trying to reach him, you didn't even bat an eye at his suffering. If it weren't for me, he'd be in Hell instead of the bedroom recovering."

"Why do you have to be such an ass, Noble?" asked Reaver angrily. "You're always like this; that kid probably has no business being one of us anyway…" Reaver's words were immediately interrupted by Noble, the latter leaping away from the wall, his eyes wide with rage towards the silver-haired Reaver.

"What the Hell do you know about who _we_ are?" screamed out Noble, his shoulder bag swinging around as he yelled and the floppy teddy bear hanging out the rim swaying back and forth. "You think this is some sort of joke? Master is trying to teach us truth! He's trying to help us grow strong like him so we can be happy, and you think its funny that one of our brothers almost died!"

"Noble…" growled Noir from his chair, bringing a sudden halt to Noble's outburst. "As much as I would enjoy hearing you two argue for yet another night, I must ask you to refrain."

"Besides," added Gemelos Blanco, the blond-haired boy in the chair to the left, his voice cheery and terrifying. "We called this meeting to deliver great news."

"News?" asked Noble, shifting his attention to the Gemelos. "What news is this?"

"A revelation from our Master," replied Blanco with a smile, these words drawing a look of shock and disbelief out of Noble. "Our mission in this world is about to conclude."

"So what did he have to say?" asked Reaver, surprised though not as shocked as his counterpart. "More recruits needed?"

"We have enough recruits," answered Noir. "More than enough, I would say. No, this revelation involves the next phase of our Master's plan – the pathway to truth."

"The beginning," added Blanco, drawing a hush from the three men. "The source of truth and happiness…our Master has given us the key to go there physically."

"You mean…" started Noble, speaking in confused tones. "A way to Jizengensei has been found? I didn't think _that_ was what 'the beginning' meant; I thought it was just a figure of speech, a metaphor…?"

"In teaching us, his servants, the Master spoke in parables," declared Noir, stepping up from the chair and walking to the doorway, where he found a light switch and turned down the lights in the room. "This was to help us make the first steps, the milk before the meat. Now, however, we have grown strong and wise; we can handle the truth and reality, and that reality is merely a single step through this…" Noir turned on a projector stationed on the decorative table next to Reaver, and in the darkness a bright square image appeared on the wall next to Noble. A moment passed while all eyes focused on the peculiar image, and with a proud, triumphant voice Noir addressed the group.

"Behold! The Citadel of Elohím!"

The projected image on the wall was nothing more than a rotating, three-dimensional drawing – very well-drawn and detailed at that – of what looked to be a keep from the Middle Ages. This keep was square in shape with three solid hewn stone walls and one partial wall with an entrance. At the corners of the keep were four tall towers, and atop each of these was a large glass sphere, inside which was embedded a deep blue sapphire crystal, each about the size of a grown adult human. In the center of the keep stood a stone patio of sort, and from this ran four large, thick, heavy black cables featuring a copper weave in a hatched pattern, each running from a corner of the patio to the base of each glass sphere.

"Isn't it marvelous?" asked Blanco, his eyes alight with joy as he gazed upon the image.

"I guess the artwork is very good," observed Reaver, the brightness of the image reflecting off his red eyes. "But what is this thing?"

"Thank you for your compliment," replied Noir. "Master's revelation was exceedingly detailed, and it felt as though he was insisting on us having a perfect knowledge of its form and function. The Citadel of Elohím is exactly what its name would infer – a defense position created by none other than the Unjust God himself."

"God created this structure?" asked Noble, becoming increasingly interested and intrigued by the image. "For what purpose?"

"The Unjust God created the Citadel to punish our Master," answered Blanco. "In the revelation, Master told us that he is being held a captive in a mystical prison in Jizengensei, and the Citadel serves as a road block. You see, it is curious in workmanship and design; a large mirror, seen here placed against the back wall of the Citadel, transforms into a portal when the four crystals seen here, here, here and here are activated."

"What activates them?" asked Noble. Noir picked up a small clicker next to the projector, and advanced the presentation forward. Upon the screen two individuals appeared standing on the central patio, both arms extended such that the four cables were being touched.

"A tremendous amount of spiritual energy must be placed into the crystals with impeccable timing," continued Noir. "It is in this aspect that the Unjust God placed an even greater control. You see, not only must the four cables be activated simultaneously, but they must also be activated with the same spirit. In other words, if two different individuals attempted to activate the crystals, it would fail completely, likely destroying whoever attempted to break through."

"So why can't one person just activate them together?" asked Noble. Near the projector Noir shook his head in the negative before speaking.

"If this were any construct of men, that would be an option," said Noir. "Unfortunately a being of incredible power put this together, and with that wisdom – flawed and evil as it is – a means of preventing enemies from passing through the portal has been erected."

"Activating two crystals will kill any being," added Blanco. "Holy, human, Shinigami…even a god. This formation of the Citadel has kept it safe from dark minds throughout the aeons, but with the new age of the Phasma Peior it can be broken."

"This thing can kill a god?" asked Reaver. "But…how could any of us…?"

"Blanco and I will break it," interrupted Noir. "We are unlike any Phasma Peior ever born in the timeline of existence. We both have zanpakuto, and the benefit of the same Sorrow spirit from Mother. When one side of our soul dies, the others will revive it."

"Normally, a single spirit with its zanpakuto would activate the Citadel," continued Blanco. "This activation would be successful, but both the host and the zanpakuto would perish. In our case, however, we have a third hand – our shared Sorrow – that can open the Citadel."

"Wait…" started Noble softly. "How is it that you two have zanpakuto? You told me that Mother's zanpakuto conflicted with you, and that Sorrows and zanpakuto could not live together…"

"Let it suffice that we are special," declared Noir matter-of-factly. "And do not press any further."

"So from what I gather then, you two can open this Citadel without dying," mused Reaver, rubbing his sharp chin with his pasty white hand. "That's pretty damn impressive."

"Where is it?"

Everyone in the room turned to the far left corner of the chamber in shadow, from whence the male voice emanated. It was a soft voice, weak in no means, but rivaling Noble's in sadness. Pain, anguish, regret filled every facet and wave of this man's voice, so much so that it even affected the indifferent Noir – if only for a millisecond.

"It lies beneath a great city in America," answered Blanco. "Far beneath the ground, protected by the unconscious, collective strength of the humans living there."

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked the voice slowly from the shadows. "Let's go find our Master, and finally obtain peace and happiness."

"In due time, Destroyer," replied Noir. "But there is a problem with that plan. You see, the Head Commodore is here, on Earth, right now. If he were to find us in the vicinity of that city – combined with the immense power of the souls living there – we would be no match."

"So what will we do then?" asked Reaver. "If that guy is as powerful as you say, how can we succeed?"

"Master has given us wisdom concerning even this," declared Blanco to this question. "We will send the Firstborn."

"Noble?" burst out Reaver angrily. "You would give this mission to a * like him?"

"Watch your tongue, Secondborn," cautioned Blanco, his youthful blue eyes scowling upon the punk rocker. "You know very well, as do we all, about Noble's strength, don't you?"

"Yes…" grumbled Reaver, turning his head down and to the side in frustration. "Out of all the souls with ear to our Master's call, none is greater than Robert Noble, the Firstborn."

(break)

Hanataro sat silently upon the ground amid the rubble and destruction of Hackney, his head buried in his hands, these glistening with drying tears. Before him buried in the loose debris he could find were six mounds, graves for his fallen comrades.

"I wasn't fast enough…" whispered Hanataro to himself. "I couldn't save anyone…"

It had all happened so quickly; Reiji had run off towards the epicenter along with all the others, but Hanataro, unable to perform the speed running shunpo technique, couldn't keep up. As he ran he saw it all; the holocaust of flames denoting the release of Reiji's and Kunei's dual Bankai. Like a volcano it soared into the air before Hanataro's sight, but then it vanished as quickly as it arrived.

At first Hanataro assumed that the battle was over and that Reiji had won; after all, this was Reiji and Kunei, and together they were stronger than most captains. However, each approaching step brought Hanataro to a chilling, terrifying, and devastating reality: Reiji, Kunei, and all his comrades were dead, their bodies nearly cut in half. Try as he may, there was nothing he could do to revive them – not even Reiji, who was still conscious when he arrived.

_"Reiji-sama!" cried out Hanataro, trembling from panic amid the blood and death all around. Hanataro ran over to his squad leader lying slumped against a broken concrete slab; the wound was terrible, stretching diagonally from his waist to his shoulder – barely missing his heart – and blood stained every inch of Reiji's clothes and body._

_"H…hey Hana…" stammered Reiji with a blood-muffled whisper, streaks of crimson leaving his lips as he smiled upon his subordinate._

_"I'm going to take care of you commander!" declared Hanataro, attempting to sound confident though not succeeding. "Just hang on and I'll save you!"_

_"It's too late…Hana…" whispered Reiji, his eyes glassed over and unmoving. "My sight is gone, I cannot move, and I feel like I'm already dead…"_

_"Don't say that," cautioned Hanataro, pulling sanitary cloth from his satchel and applying it to the wound, followed by placing his hands above it and applying healing kido._

_"The man is already gone, so you are safe…" continued Reiji in a whisper. "I'm sorry I failed, Hana…he was just too strong…"_

_"Why isn't it healing?" grumbled Hanataro, sweat pouring down his face. Below, the healing technique was not working, and the wound was not closing. "Reiji, what happened…?"_

_"I'm going to see Kunei now, Hana…" interrupted Reiji, a smile upon his face despite his fatal condition. "Noble…he's like a god. Hana, please don't go after him. Please…survive…" Breath left Reiji's lips, and from that point on he was still and silent, his smile etched permanently upon his face as he lay in death._

_"Reiji-sama?" gasped Hanataro, the healing kido vanishing as he grabbed and shook Reiji's collar. "REIJI-SAMA!"_

"I failed my team…" sighed Hanataro to himself, tears returning to his eyes and his emotions overwhelming him as he began to weep. "I'm worthless…"

"Hanataro Yamada," said a woman's voice from behind him, startling him out of his sorrow for a moment. "Are you all right?"

"Who's there…?" started Hanataro quickly, turning around defensively until he saw who had addressed him. "C-Captain Anders?" Behind he saw the lovely Captain Alicia Anders dressed in her white captain's haori marked with the kanji number "five" on the back. Beside her stood two men, one tall and slender, dark-haired with the number "69" tattooed onto his left cheek, dressed in a black kimono with the sleeves torn off, his scowling eyes shifting rapidly from place to place in the surroundings. The other man was likewise dressed in a white captain's haori emblazoned with the kanji for "three", while his short gray hair was neatly combed with a long braid leading off from his right temple, a warm kind look upon his face as he gazed down upon Hanataro.

"Captain Shakuho Hitokage! Vice-Captain Shuhei Hisagi!" exclaimed Hanataro as he recognized these two legends of Soul Society alongside his favorite captain. "What are you doing here?"

"We're here to rescue you," replied Shuhei curtly, his eyes never glancing upon Hanataro, but rather remaining fixed in a search pattern on the destroyed city around them.

"Also, we are to investigate the events that occurred today," added Shakuho. "Terrible things have happened, so Yamamoto thought three captain-class Shinigami should be sent."

"Though from the looks of things…" continued Shuhei, his eyes scowling even further. "That man who we saw in the video is long gone. We should take Hanataro to soul Society for further questioning."

"He's been gone for a long time now…" said Hanataro, sorrow returning to his heart as he thought about his fallen comrades. "He killed them all so quickly; there was nothing I could do to save them. I even found Reiji while he was still alive but…" Hanataro felt Alicia's warm, gentle hand caressing his shoulder, and he turned his teary eyes up towards her beautiful smiling face.

"It's all right, Hanataro," said Alicia softly. "The fact that you are alive is a blessing in and of itself."

"Captain Anders, what should we do?" interrupted Shuhei, clearly uncomfortable being in the destroyed city. "I can sense nothing of this man, not even with the information Captain Kurotsuchi gave us."

"So we have no way of tracking him?" asked Shakuho.

"Not that I know of," replied Shuhei. At this moment, Hanataro's face again perked up.

"Captain Hitokage, would you look at this?" Hanataro reached into his satchel and pulled out a small glass vial, inside which there was a small piece of rubble. "When we first arrived on the scene, I took a sample of the strange spirit matter scattered over everything." Shakuho took the vial from Hanataro, knelt down, and peered at it closely for several moments.

"How very peculiar…" he muttered to himself. "This looks like…"

"Human spirit," answered Hanataro, drawing a look of disbelief from Shuhei. "It's everywhere, if you look. Whatever it was that destroyed this city, it was a human."

"How could a human do something like this?" asked Shuhei incredulously. "There's no way they could do this…no way at all!"

"The man we saw in the playback at Kurotsuchi's lab appeared to be a human," interjected Shakuho. "Even when his eyes began to glow, he didn't give off any spiritual energy of a Hollow or a Shinigami. Granted, we likely couldn't detect what he was giving off because he is a new creature, something we have never seen before."

"At least not since Soul Society began detecting spiritual auras," added Alicia. "This man – Noble, is his name I think – is incredibly dangerous. Because of that, I tend to agree with Vice-Captain Hisagi that we should go back to Soul Society; we have enough data here to mount an effective investigation from safer shores, however…" Alicia suddenly stopped speaking and turned herself away from the group, unsure whether what she was about to say would be well accepted or not.

"However, what?" pressed Shuhei. Alicia then gave a light sigh, and spoke.

"We can't go back yet," she said. "I would like to go to America, to the city of San Francisco."

"What?" asked Captain Hitokage. "Why on earth would we have to go to the other side of the planet? There's no way the guy who did this could be there already…"

"Over the last ten years I have had strange dreams," declared Alicia, her voice bold and unafraid of any response. "But recently they have changed. The man we saw in the video was in many of them, and in the last dream he destroyed San Francisco in the blink of an eye. I don't know if this dream means anything; in fact, I don't know why I'm having them at all. But it would do well to calm my heart; we'll go and check things out, that's all. If everything's all right, then we will go back to Soul Society, all right?" For a moment the others were silent, but after this moment Shuhei gave a quick nod, followed by Shakuho sighing and smiling.

"Anything for you, Alicia," said Shakuho lightly. "I guess I'll…"

"What about me?" interrupted Hanataro suddenly, causing Alicia to turn back around and face the younger Shinigami. "What am I supposed to do?"

"You will come with us," replied Alicia. "We need a healer should we encounter any enemies."

"But I…" stammered Hanataro, his face falling. "I failed my squad. What if I fail you as well?"

"From the things I've heard about you, I don't think that will be a problem," said Alicia with a warm smile, such an one that filled Hanataro with a mixture of confidence and embarrassment. "I heard you brought Ichigo Kurosaki back from the brink of death after fighting Renji Abarai, now a Captain. To be able to heal someone in that state…that is impressive."

"Captain Unohana considered you to be one of her most talented subordinates," added Shakuho. "Besides, as Alicia said: we're just going to check things out. I'm sure we'll be back in Soul Society in no time." Shakuho then lifted back his haori and drew his katana, complete with garishly bright red, extra-long handle and he held this in front of him with the blade pointed outward.

"It's been a while since I ridden the train," mused Alicia. "I hope ten years have improved the design."

"Just you watch," grinned Shakuho, after which he drew a breath and spoke very calmly. "Datesugata, Kikansha Tamashii." Like magic, Shakuho's blade began to flash and morph, and within a second it had vanished – replaced by a full size bullet train, sleek and silver, with a large engine and a passenger car attached.

"Damn…" whispered Shuhei, his eyes alight with awe as he saw Shakuho's Bankai for the first time. Shakuho hearing this smiled and turned towards him and Alicia.

"My latest model," he said happily. "Five times the speed of the locomotive you've saw back when I became a captain, Alicia. Now then, all aboard!" Shakuho, Shuhei, and Alicia stepped towards the train, and Shakuho slid open the steel door to the passenger cart. All three began to step onto the train, but as Alicia entered she turned and noticed that Hanataro was still standing amid the rubble a look of sadness in his complexion.

"Hanataro, we need to go," stated Alicia.

"What about Reiji and Kunei?" asked Hanataro solemnly. "What should we do with them?"

"We should let them rest in peace," replied Alicia softly. "Hanataro, please know this: they did not perish in vain. Your team was honorable till the end, and fought fiercely to stop this man…this monster. By helping us find out this mystery, you are serving their memories, and undoubtedly giving them peace. Now please, come aboard the train." Alicia held out her hand to Hanataro, who took a deep breath and walked towards her, grasping her hand and letting her lift him up onto the passenger car.

"Thank you, Captain Anders," said Hanataro with a bow of his head as soon as the two were inside the plush, comfortable passenger car, complete with cushioned seats (a massive improvement upon Shakuho older design) and large windows.

"Please," she responded, lifting his chin and forcing him to look into her gentle green eyes. "Call me Alicia."

"I've never ridden in a train before…" stated Shuhei, glancing around nervously, unsure of this new sensation would do to him. "How fast does this thing go?"

"Really fast," replied Shakuho with a large smile. "I think you'll like it. Now then, on to San Francisco! California is beautiful this time of year; the vacation should be wonderful!" With a brief hiss and a sudden lurch the train sped forward, vanishing from the epicenter of ruined Hackney like a bolt of lightning, Shuhei's hands grasping the seat as tightly as he could all the way.

(break)

Darkness penetrated every corner of the bleak dusty dunes and crystal trees, a steady breeze of dry wind blowing across the waterless landscape beneath a bright crescent moon in a starless night. Amid the blowing waves of sand footsteps could be heard on the far side of a large dune facing a massive structure still many hundreds of miles away, and in this darkness above it two personages appeared at the crest, dressed completely in slender white gowns and cloaks.

"I can't believe we are here," said the tall, exotically beautiful woman with fair skin on the right in a gentle alto, her long, dark brown hair flying like a flag in the breeze, her deep brown eyes surveying the gargantuan domed structure in the distance beyond them with heavy concern. The wind whipped across her floor-length gown as well, though the slenderness kept in well in check as she looked upon the seemingly lifeless world.

"Consider it a blessing, Laura," said the woman of the left, shorter than Laura, her gown only dropping to her knees, her feet shod in white, buckled, and four-inch tall heels that had no difficulty whatsoever in the sand. Airborne sand gently brushed against her smooth, tanned skin and exceptionally long, micro-braided hair that hung down to her slender waist. Her blue-grey eyes squinted in the wind, distorting the small feather tattoo near her left ear. "You and I are the first to ever see this place."

"Oh, the things your husband has us do, Juno," mused Laura. "Declan has really outdone himself this time. Hueco Mundo of all places…"

"He was very specific in his instruction," replied Juno. "The revelations from god were distinct, and one directed him to send two Commodores to Hueco Mundo, after which we would travel to Soul Society."

"But the Sorrows are in the Mortal Realm," observed Laura, brushing a few strands of hair out of her eyes. "I have yet to see why we were sent here, while he and that pompous ass Jasper get to go where the action is. I still don't even know why the Hollows haven't come after us yet." Juno smiled at these words, and laughed under her breath before addressing her Commodore companion.

"It doesn't make any sense to me either," she replied. "But Declan was so sure of himself, how could I deny him. Besides, getting away from Jizengensei has been eyes opening for me already. Even though we are in this purgatory, I still think it is fascinating."

"Right you are on that one," agreed Laura, who then turned her gaze a little to the left and down the sloping dune towards a small grove of crystal trees several miles beyond them. "Oh? What is this?" Juno turned her attention towards the same grove and smiled.

"How extraordinary," she said softly, her smile growing larger by the second. "To think they still exist…"

"Should we go down?" asked Laura to her companion. "Even though I don't know why we are here, I really can't resist this opportunity."

"Go down we will," answered Juno, and together the two female commodores began their descent towards the grove.

Down at the grove of crystalline trees, a peculiar song could be heard, muffled by the sand, but discernible nonetheless. This song became audible to Laura and Juno as the cautiously approached, though the language of the song was so odd to be barely recognizable. As the two reached the top of the final hill before the grove, finally several words could be made out from the three singing voices, all peculiar and extremely annoying.

_HWAYCO MOONDOH HAPPEE DAYS! DUMASS AIZEN GON UHWAY!_

"Oh my goodness…" muttered Laura under her breath. "I almost don't even want to meet these things now."

"Indeed," replied Juno. "But they are definitely what we thought they were…

"The Arrancar."

**Next: CHAPTER 7 – THE LAST OF THE GODS**

**BONUS!**

"I don't mean to be a pain," began Ichigo as he stood in front of his house before the tall man dressed in a gigantic, fine Italian suit with a cleanly pressed white shirt. "And it is great to see you after so long, but I really can't be at peace leaving the girls with anyone else, not with how messed up things have been lately." The tall man merely grumbled an inaudible response, to which Ichigo smiled.

"That's the spirit!" he said happily, turning and running towards his Toyota, wherein were already seated Orihime, Declan, Jasper, and Uruhara, the latter three incessantly pressing each and every button they could find in awe and wonder. "If there's any problem…I dunno, just call Yamamoto!" Ichigo leaped into his car and sped off, leaving the tall man next to Ichigo's two tiny children, both of who were waving wildly to their departing father.

"Bai bai daddy!" called out the little boy Kenji as he waved his hand so hard it shook his entire body. "Bai bai mama!"

"Bye dad!" cried out Akahana. "Have fun with your new friends, and be nice to mom!" Akahana then turned and looked straight up towards the tall man's scarred, hard face, his tiny golden irises glowing as he scowled at the departing vehicle.

"What?" asked the man gruffly as he noticed Ichigo's daughter smiling up at him.

"Your hair is awesome," she replied, pointing towards his neatly spiked hair, radiating outward from the back of his head like a comet, each end featuring a bell.

"Thanks," grumbled Kenpachi Zaraki back to the little girl, though his face showed absolutely no sign of happiness, tolerance, or anything remotely positive. Then, to Akahana's complete surprise, a tiny pink-haired girl appeared from behind Kenpachi's far shoulder, startling Akahana so much she jumped (Kenji was still waving good-bye at this point).

"I do his hair every morning!" exclaimed Yachiru with a girlish giggle. "Don't I Ken-chan?"

"Shut up," growled Kenpachi, reaching up and knocking Yachiru off his shoulder. "Don't embarrass me in front of the kids."


	8. Chapter 7: The Last of the Gods

**CHAPTER 7: THE LAST OF THE GODS**

"OH YEAH! AIZEN GONE! EBWEEBUDDY SEENG DIS SONG!"

The hideously juvenile chant raged on in the grove of tree-like crystals, three voices singing the words, though not in unison, pitch nor speed, and in the next phrase even the wording broke down.

"ITSYGO HAS MADE US FWEE! STINKID AIZEN STINK LIKE…"

At once the chanting came to a halt, and after a moment of silence a horrendously high-pitched, garbled, raspy, and childish girl's voice erupted in anger.

"Dondochakka why do you haf to get it wong always?" screamed out the little girl's voice angrily from the trees. "It's not 'stinky Aizen'! It's 'stoopid Aizen'. We wehursed this a hundwed times! Stop acting like you haf a labawtummy!" There within the source of the voice appeared – a tiny human-looking girl dressed in a ratty green robe, standing no more than two and a half feet tall. While her general appearance was that of a human, a closer inspection revealed very strange features for any creature known to existence – a large, cute bone mask resting atop her short, ratty blue-green hair, the eye sockets large and round, while half of the upper teeth were missing due to a large crack running down the middle. Her eyes were very large and hazel in color, glistening as she shouted at her singing companion. Below these was a long red line stretching across her nose from the tips of her cheekbones, and all in all she appeared to be just a tiny little girl – though her language would indicate the presence of a more adult mind.

The target of this girl's chastisement lay huddled upon the ground, its gigantic head and face hidden as it cowered beneath the little girl's sharp tongue. The part that could be seen was dressed in a bizarre and frankly very ugly loose jumpsuit of yellow with black polka dots, and the back of its head (the face was thoroughly hidden) was large and pasty white.

"I'm sorry Nel, don'tcha know?" whined the large yellow creature, its voice deep and nasal, a successful argument along with his obsessive-compulsive use of sentence-ending phraseology for the "most annoying voice in the universe" award. "I tried to remember the right words but I couldn't, don'tcha know? I ruined everything, and now we're gonna die, don'tcha know!"

"W-what?" gasped the third individual, this one standing tall and purple in hue, with a lightly colored loincloth, white gloves, and a beetle-like horned mask with one eye covered with a purple piece of fabric. "What did you do Dondochakka! We're all going to die because you can't remember our lines! Oh no! OH WHY DID WE HAVE TO MEET THIS FATE?"

"I killed us all, don'tcha know!" wailed Dondochakka, raising his head from the ground as stream of water shot out of the pupils of his yellow eyes, his gaping mouth and giant, straight teeth moaning in sorrow. "Pesche…PESCHE I'M SORRY! WAAAAAAH!" The tumultuous din railed on and on, and despite her attempts, little Nel could not assuage her companions from crying out in despair for their apparent and completely imagined coming doom.

"Brudders! Why you cryin'?" cried out Nel, her eyes beginning to tremble at the sight of Dondochakka and Pesche. "Are we…are we really gonna die? I DUN WANNA DIE!" With that, Nel flopped backwards upon the ground where she began to shriek and cry, flailing her arms like a little child throwing a temper tantrum.

"We're finished!" cried out Pesche dramatically while holding up and shaking his fist angrily to the blank crescent moon above. "Curse you, fate! Curse you for this cruel, incredibly awesome end!"

"We're gonna die, don'tcha know!" seconded Dondochakka, a steady river of water still streaming from both eyes.

"Nel dun wanna die!" wept Nel in a ridiculously loud tantrum voice, her face turning red. "The world can't wiv wifout Nel!"

"Do you think our audience likes our performance?" said Pesche suddenly in a softer, excited voice to his two companions, silencing their wails.

"Awdeeints?" replied Nel softly and inquisitively.

"Those two lovely ladies in white over there," continued Pesche, pointing towards the two approaching women, both of these cautious and careful in their speed. Nel and Dondochakka turned their gaze in the direction of Pesche's finger, and together their breathing came to a halt. Nel and Dondochakka then began to tremble before the approaching women, while Pesche tried his best to don a dramatic, professional pose. When within no more than ten yards, Nel's violent trembling piqued, and she could no longer hold her silence amid frightened eyes.

"Such pwetty ladies…" gasped Nel, her voice trembling as much as her body, but as soon as these words had left her mouth her tone changed to one of giddy excitement. "Such pwetty ladies loved our puhfomence! Oh nice pwetty ladies – did yoo love it, or just kinda like it? Pweese, be awnest." Ahead at the edge of the crystal grove, Laura and Juno stopped approaching, a curious, confused look building upon their lovely faces.

"That was a performance?" asked Laura softly to Juno, all while Nel, Dondochakka and Pesche began acting out a dramatic death scene reminiscent of Hamlet – though the dialogue was completely unintelligible. With incredible fervor Nel grabbed her chest as though she had been stabbed, and fell to the ground silent – but only for a moment as she opened one eye to see if the newcomers were applauding. Upon seeing the opposite (Laura and Juno were stunned by the immature aspect of what they had assumed to be powerful, intelligent creatures), Nel leapt to her tiny feet and began shouting at her counterparts again.

"We wunt good enuf fo' dem!" growled Nel, flailing her arms in the air. "Doo et again! AGAIN!" The three then went back to their initial poses, but before they could start the tragic death-scene again Juno's voice interrupted them.

"Excuse me," began the lovely tanned Juno, halting the performance and drawing the three individuals attention to her. "Are you Arrancar?" This question seemed to not cause a stir or any concern whatsoever among the three, who immediately grinned and started shouting in the affirmative.

"We not jus' Arr'ncar!" exclaimed Nel happily. "We da bestest of the Arr'ncars! Me and mah brudders helped Itsygo beat Aizen, and we are hewoes! Togedder, we make…" The three Arrancar leapt towards each other and formed a curious super saiyan formation, intense and suitable perhaps for a B-list movie poster. They then took a breath, and with precision the three shouted in unison.

"Heroes Nel-Don-Pe!"

Immediately after finishing, the three began laughing and dancing in celebration.

"Wee did it!" said Nel with a massive smile. "Aftuh so long, we finawy did it right!"

"We did, don'tcha know!" seconded Dondochakka, but again they were interrupted by Juno.

"You two…" she began, motioning towards Dondochakka and Pesche. "You two fit the normal description of Fracción we read in our history courses, though your appearance is…well…a little odd. You, little girl, on the other hand…"

"You are not just an Arrancar, are you?" said Laura, finishing Juno's sentence for her. Both women expected a response, but to their surprise Nel and her "brudders" said nothing, rather they stood motionless – except for Nel, whose eyes were wide with shock.

_I don' no how I didn' notiss beefoh…_ thought Nel, the childish voice even permeating her mind.

"What is it, Nel?" asked Pesche. Nel gulped before responding, her response being slow and quiet, and riddled with terror.

"I tink dey is…" she started, having to gulp again. "I tink dey is Espada."

"Them? Espada?" retorted Pesche haughtily. "No, there's no way they could be Espada. Just because they dress like them and are beautiful like them…" With these words Pesche became silent for a moment before erupting.

"THEY'RE ESPADA!" At once the tumultuous rancor flooded the scene again as the three Hollows lost their marbles.

"Please, be silent!" The booming voice of the tall, exotic Laura rang out, silencing (hopefully for good, in her mind) the three noisy Arrancar. "We are not Espada; this we can guarantee."

"Well den are yoo Sheeneegahmee like Istygo?" asked Nel. "I dun see your zanpaktoe, so I dun tink yoo are…"

"No, little one, we are not Shinigami either," continued Laura. "We come from a world you do not remember, but I assure you we are not your enemies."

"How do we noe yur not bad guys?" pressed Nell further. "How do we noe that we shudent call our meaner brudders and sissters to come beat yoo up?"

"You refer to the Gillian and Adjuchas?" asked Juno, looking over her shoulder. "We were actually curious as to why we haven't seen any Hollows since arriving."

"Maybe they were scared that you were Espada, don'tcha know?" offered Dondochakka. "Espada are like gods to the Gillian and Adjuchas, but we haven't had any in a long time."

"Ya, Itsygo took care of dem," said Nel with a smile. "Some of dem were nice, like Starrk-sama and Halibel, but the west were big jerks and mean to the littler Hollows."

"So we heard," said Juno, stepping forward across the sand towards Nel, who retracted a little bit as she neared. Juno then knelt down next to the tiny girl, and with a smile she looked at her mask and felt Nel's face with her smooth hands.

"This is not your normal form…" observed Juno softly before raising her volume to address her companion. "Laura, I do believe this girl was once an Espada herself." Juno half expected Nel to reject this claim, but instead the little girl turned her face towards the ground to her right.

"The sooper bootiful woman is wite," said Nell softly, as though trying to keep Dondochakka and Pesche from overhearing. "Nel used ta be Espada Trés, but Nel dun want any of dat no more. Nel wuvs her brudders!"

"I'm sure you are a very strong family," said Juno with a warm smile. "But you see, I was under the impression that there was only one Espada left in Hueco Mundo. Tell me…is that you?"

"Uh…" stammered Nel, looking even further away from Juno's blue-grey eyes. "I guess wite now dat's twue, but to be awnest…" Before Nel could say any further words, the ground beneath them began to rumble.

"What's going on?" asked Pesche, looking around wildly as the rumbling and shaking grew and intensified.

"Dey is coming!" exclaimed Nel frightfully. "Dey is coming fo' yoo now! Dey mus' noe yoo isunt Espada!"

"Commodore Syn," declared Juno calmly to her companion. "Please deal with the approaching Hollows while I protect these three."

"Hollows?" gasped Nel. "Dere is mo' den jus' wun? WAAAAH!"

"Please be calm, little Nel," said Juno softly, taking Nel into her arms and standing, lifting the little girl up from the ground and holding her like a baby. "We will not let them harm you."

"But yoo dun understan'!" cried Nel. "Dey not heer for us – dey heer for yoo!"

"Hollows are unpredictable creatures," started Juno, calm even amidst the violent trembling of the ground. "They are cannibalistic, and friendships between them are usually only skin-deep. What is seen between you three is far different, but for what is approaching, you may be harmed by them."

"But wut bout yoo?" asked Nel. Juno looked down and smiled at the little Hollow.

"There is no need to worry."

From a little beyond the edge of the crystal grove and from the direction of the monumental building off in the distance erupted a massive cloud of dust and debris, occluminating the air all around the five as this dust rushed in around them, hiding out all visibility and sound. Then, as though piercing a great void of silence, a deep, rumbling voice appeared in the dark fog of dust.

"Nel, you have done well! Just as always, you never fail to surprise us with your skill!" At once the dust blew away with a brief gust, revealing three gigantic Hollow, Adjuchas in class. The Hollow in the center of the three then spoke again, shaped as a thirty foot-tall purple man with three bony tails, each as long as he was tall and boasting a large white bone mask of a detailed mythological viper.

"I'm very glad you were able to deduce that these lovely morsels were not in fact Espada," said the center Adjuchas, gently waving his the massive claws of his hands upwards in the air in anticipation of his soon-to-be-consumed meal.

"Nothing less than what is expected of a former God," added the Adjuchas to the left, this shaped as a massive, blue orangutan complete with a terrifying mask of the same likeness. "We promise we will leave you some scraps to feed on when we're done."

"As long as you aren't caught up in the slaughter," chimed in the remaining Adjuchas, this about half the size of the other two, yet far more fearful in shape as it resembled a human skeleton – though its legs and pelvis were replaced with the body of a black octopus, the eight tentacles waving wildly as it rested upon the ground.

"S-Snake…Mono…Poseído…" gasped Nel sheepishly, her eyes glistening in widened fear as she looked upon the gigantic monsters before them. "G-get out of here, nao!"

"Oh, you are giving us an order?" asked Snake, scratching his chin with a claw in curiosity. "I see that our compliments haven't reached you. Mono, Poseído…what do you think of little Nel's resistance?"

"Treachery…" whispered Mono.

"Suicide…" added Poseído.

"You will not harm this girl, nor her companions," interrupted Laura boldly, drawing the gazes of the three Adjuchas to her as she stood below them defiantly with no sword nor weapon in her delicate hands.

"So, the dinner is acting tough too, huh?" asked Snake. "While I guess you could say I'm curious as to what you and your girlfriend are, I can't help but think you are making a mistake here."

"You should be running for your life right now," stated Poseído, his eight tentacles flapping wildly as he slowly inched towards Laura, all while Juno held Nel firmly several yards behind.

"If you will depart, you will not be harmed," declared Laura, unphased by the Hollow's taunts. Ahead, Mono shook his head disdainfully.

"You just don't get it, do you?" he said in a disappointed tone. "If Nel is afraid of us, then shouldn't you be afraid as well? Besides, we aren't just any ordinary Gillian – we are the three most powerful Hollows left in Hueco Mundo! If you had half a brain you would…"

"Nel, is this true?" asked Laura, turning suddenly and rudely cutting off Mono's speech.

"Yeah, dey're rite," replied Nel, sniffing a large dose of snot into her nose as tears could not help but leak from her eyes. "I-I am a nobuddy; dey're really strong, almost like Vasto Lordes."

"HEY!" growled Mono angrily. "Don't interrupt me when I am talking, you little wretched pieces of filth! We are your masters now, and you are going to be our dinner!" The three Adjuchas then lunged forward, slashing down upon the group with their various destructive parts. In the midst of this approaching doom, Laura gave a quick glance back to the three, and gave a gentle whisper beneath her breath while Nel, Dondochakka and Pesche screamed out in terror.

"Andromeda, deliver us."

What happened next was almost too much for Nel's little mind to comprehend. A bolt of light shot out from Laura's chest and enveloped the three Adjuchas, and almost as soon as it had appeared it was gone. Snake, Mono and Poseído all stood completely motionless for several moments, not a sound made among them.

"A-Are dey dead?" asked Nel to Juno, who had now released her from her protective hold.

"No, they are not dead," replied Juno, standing back up and walking over to Laura. "Laura's zanpakuto is highly unique compared to all others; while many focus explicitly on destructive power, Andromeda seeks to circumvent the typical routes of victory."

"A-Amazing, don'tcha know…" gasped Dondochakka. Pesche meanwhile was still hiding his head in the sand.

"They will not bother us anymore," added Laura. "At least, if they choose such. Now then Nel, I must ask you to be perfectly honest with us: if you are not the most powerful Hollow in Hueco Mundo, who is?"

"I aweddy tode you," replied Nel. "Those twee are the stwongest."

"But you mentioned that right now you are the only Espada left, correct," asked Juno. "If so, then what happened to the other?" At this question, Nel hung her head down towards the ground and didn't reply.

"We don't like talking about that, don'tcha know," said Dondochakka. "It was a very sad time for us."

"Sad?" asked Laura, and at this Nel finally spoke up, her voice soft and sad, a tear growing at her eye.

"We wost our favorite new brudder," she said. "He had made so much pwogwess, and he had become so nice. But den he just left an' now we is alone in the desert. He said he would make Hueco Mundo a nice pwace again for all Hollow, not jus' da stwong ones, but he weft and now its getting bad again."

"This man, what was his name?" pressed Juno onward, feeling the answers were near. "Where did he go?" Nel looked up into Juno's anxious eyes, and with a shudder she spoke.

"He went to the place where Hollows shudn't go," she said. "He went where all da Hollows get killed by Sheeneegahmee. We tode him he cudn't go, but he wudn't wisten!"

"He went to the Mortal Realm?" asked Laura. "That is definitely interesting, but it doesn't seem to help us figure out why we are here…"

"H-He said that 'sowwow was calling him'," continued Nel, and with these words Juno and Laura became silent, a cold chill running through their veins. "He said dis was destinee, and that his sowwow cudn't be beat widout goin' away. I didn' wan' him to go, Nel was liken him so much after he met Itsygo…"

"His name, Nel," pressed Juno. "What is this Espada's name?"

"It's…" started Nel, hesitant to even speak.

(break)

_The rain was particularly cold that afternoon after school as Sam and Amelie ran to her home, holding their books aloft to protect them from the waters. Several grand months of love had been shared, both were fifteen, and times were good even with the dark, cold drizzle from the heavens. Amelie was the first to burst through the door of her home, an old cottage converted to the modern necessities though very comfortable and cozy, and as Sam entered it became clear that Amelie's parents – both of whom he liked very much – were away._

_"Mum and Dad are gone until seven," declared Amelie angrily. "God, I can't stand those two sometimes! They don't tell me anything, then they treat me like a little girl who doesn't know anything when they get home. I mean, I'm fifteen now – I don't want them to tell me how to live my life!"_

_"I dunno, I like your parents," said Sam almost in passing. "Anyway, I guess I will be off now that you're home; me and Mom were going to go out tonight with Dad at this really awesome restaurant in downtown London. Bye love," Sam smiled and turned around, headed for the door, unaware of the events his words had suddenly and so innocently set into motion._

_"Sam, I'm running away tonight," stated Amelie in a voice so cold and emotionless that Sam instantly knew something was up. "And I want you to go with me." Sam didn't know what to say, nor did he know whether to turn around to face his girlfriend; after all, this was completely unlike her. While she had from time to time voiced grievance over her parents, Sam never had thought anything of it. Teenagers are just like that, he would say to himself each time, even Amelie. Sam meanwhile was very close to both his parents and Amelie's, and had never found himself in any such state that would warrant running away._

_"Why would you want to run away?" asked Sam, turning around to see Amelie standing resolutely in the entryway of her darkened home. "You have a nice house, good friends at school, and if you ask me a really cool mom and dad."_

_"School is lame and you know it!" shouted Amelie so uncharacteristically it made Sam jump. "It's not like we learn anything important there, and all my 'friends' just like me because I'm pretty and good at football."_

_"That's not true…" started Sam, but the dripping-wet redhead cut him off._

_"You're the only one who really loves me, Sam," said Amelie in such a way that now Sam was beginning to feel afraid. "No one else understands me like you do; nobody even tries. But you, Sam, you are the one I love and the one I want to be with forever, and the only way this can work out without me killing myself is to run away with you, far away."_

_"But…" asked Sam, trying to keep his tone calm and happy while hoping that everything he was hearing was either some unpleasant daydream or a cruel joke. "But where would we go? I mean, Great Britain isn't __**that**__ huge that we could hide forever. I mean, someone would catch us, right?"_

_"I think we should go to America, or Norway," said Amelie, turning and walking towards a small window off to the side of the darkened dining room. There she stood for a moment, looking out into the rain, her crimson hair dark and maroon under the coat of moisture, her face lovely – yet sad, stricken, completely unlike anything Sam had ever seen. This was not the face he had come to adore, nor the girl he had grown to love; something was definitely off with her._

_"Amelie, what is wrong?" asked Sam timidly after a few moments of silence. "Why are you saying these things?"_

_"Sam…" started Amelie, tears rushing into her eyes while she looked out into the drizzle, her voice shaking and upon the precipice of weeping. "I'm pregnant."_

_At this point Sam laughed; he was so convinced that Amelie had been serious, but with that phrase he knew it had to have been a joke. After all, they had made a deal with each other specifically __**not**__ to have sex at this point, and it wasn't like they had done anything even remotely tied to pregnancy._

_"Dammit Amelie, you had me for a bit there," chuckled Sam, looking down to the floor then back up to his girlfriend, but instead of seeing her smile, he saw no change in her façade. She was still teary eyed, still watching out the window, and with a sniff she addressed him again._

_"I'm serious, Sam," she continued, stifling Sam's laughter and replacing it with a cold tingle that filled his body. "It's not your baby; I mean, how could it be? I found out this morning…"_

_"Wait…how did you get pregnant then?" asked Sam, somewhat baffled and dumbfounded at this development. "I mean, unless you…"_

_"I'll be honest with you right now," said Amelie, turning to Sam and wiping her now-crimson eyes. "I've been seeing another guy, and older guy. We just hung out at nights when you weren't around, and…I don't know how or why, but…we…" Sam didn't know what to say, what to think, or even how to move. This was Amelie, his love, confessing that she had not only been seeing another guy, but that she was having sex with him. All the time, all the kisses, and the kind words and "I love yous"…all of them were a sham._

_"So, you let some older kid knock you up and now you want me to take care of you?" asked Sam, his blood temperature rising by the minute._

_"No, no!" exclaimed Amelie, tears now streaming down her face. "That guy threatened to kill me if I told anybody we had sex, and now that I'm pregnant there's no way I can keep it secret. I don't want an abortion…I want you to be the father, and the only way this can work is if we run away! I've been secretly swiping a few pounds from Mum and Dad, and I have enough to get us out of the country…"_

_"Amelie, do you know what you're saying?" shouted Sam, throwing his hands into the air and stunning Amelie into silence. "You're telling me to destroy my life over something really bad that you have done! You want me to throw everything away! Mom, Dad…I love them and I don't want to hurt them! Your mom and dad love you more than you realize, and they will help you with this. Please Amelie, don't ask me to do this again…" Amelie didn't respond; instead her eyes fell to the ground with a whimper, and as she closed them she raised her hand and pointed towards the still-open door._

_"Go away."_

Sam opened his eyes, the darkness of the room blackening his field of view for a few moments until his eyes had grown accustomed. With this faint vision in the dark room of the mansion he sat up, wiping the tears from his eyes, feeling the deep and rampant scars on his face as he did so.

"Why couldn't any of it had just been a dream?" he asked himself softly. "Amelie, the train station…why is this happening? Why do so many people get hurt because of my actions?"

"Life is pain, life is sorrow," answered a new voice from the corner of the room, and Sam looked up and realized he was not alone. There in the corner, seated in a fine wooden chair of extreme quality sat a man, all his features completely hidden by the shadows of the Himalayan mansion. "The sooner you come to realize this truth, the sooner you will be on the road to peace."

"Who's there?" asked Sam to the shadowed figure.

"It's just me, one of your brothers," replied the figure. "The Gemelos call me The Destroyer."

"Where's Noble?"

"The Firstborn is away," replied Destroyer. "He has an important mission, and he asked me to look after you in his absence."

"So he trusts you?" asked Sam half-sarcastically. "He doesn't seem to fond of that little kid…"

"That 'kid' is our superior," continued Destroyer. "They are twins, actually, and to be honest, I hate their guts. The Firstborn isn't alone in his disdain for those two; they treat life as nothing, they neglect to see the miracle that is any form of existence. But it doesn't matter what we say – they only serve our Master, and his will alone do they heed."

"Our 'Master'?" asked Sam softly. "I guess since I'm so new at this, I don't know who he is…"

"You've already met him," interjected Destroyer, now standing up and walking over to the chair near the fine bed where he sat back down, now inches away from Sam on the bed. "When you gave in to the voice and transformed, it was Him that was addressing you. Master is the source of peace, the way out of sorrow. He is a real person, a being far away from us but with the power to lead and guide us. His goal is to set all life free from sorrow and pain, to free us from sin and consequence, to make the world right again…" Destroyer fell silent after these words, his face turned away from Sam so that he still couldn't see any features.

"How did you…" started Sam after several minutes of this silence. "How did you become a…a…"

"A Phasma Peior?" answered Destroyer with a short, soft chuckle and a quick rise of his head. "I guess the same way every one of us did, though I didn't destroy a city like you did or anything. Not too long ago my life was completely different; I had a new way of living on my hands, and everything – and I mean everything – had changed. I couldn't find any happiness or peace in my new world, however, despite the lack of violence and hardship, and that was when I began to hear the whispers."

"Whsipers?" asked Sam. "Like when the little boy told me to listen?"

"Not quite," replied Destroyer. "While the method of conversion is the same for us all, the means for that conversion to begin is slightly different. From what I've heard, Gemelos Blanco found you in a dire situation, one in which you had basically given up on life and had nothing left to live for. In that state, you were practically ready-made to become a Phasma Peior. I, on the other hand, needed more impetus.

"The whispers came on so gradually I can't really pinpoint when they truly began, but by the time I could understand them their meaning was very clear. I was to make my way here, to the Himalayas, and my destiny would be made known. That was when I met him, Robert Noble, the most amazing and spiritually powerful person I had ever known. Compared to him, those I thought to be strong were like infants, and when he told me there was a path to enlightenment, a way to freedom and happiness, I couldn't help but follow his lead, and naturally that led me to follow the Gemelos."

"But when you became a Phasma Peior…did it hurt?" asked Sam.

"I suppose it did," replied Destroyer with a sigh. "But without a little suffering, how can we truly know deliverance?" With these words Destroyer turned his head towards Sam in the dark, moonlit room, revealing his short, wild blue hair and brilliant sapphire eyes. Upon Destroyer's right cheek rested what looked like the fractured jaw of an unknown animal, and Sam gasped when he saw it.

"Wha…what are you?" stammered Sam, frightened and awestruck at the same time as he gazed upon the peculiar mask.

"Me?" replied Destroyer. "I'm nobody. My past doesn't matter anymore – only the future matters now. Don't look so afraid of me, Sam; I'm no one for you to fear. There is only one thing to fear in our existence."

"And what is that?" asked Sam. Destroyer straightened his gaze and looked up at the ceiling from his chair, his eyes looking upwards towards no distinct target, his voice dreamy yet sad at the same time.

"Losing hope."

**Next: CHAPTER 8 – PURSUIT**

**BONUS!** Big break there. Yup, that's how it goes 'round Christmas. Though in my defense I did have finals, the monster death cold AND the flu, not to mention being out of town for a week with my wife's family (where said flu developed).

So, I hope you had a merry Christmas and super neat-o New Year, and I hope you are looking forward to more fan-ficky goodness in the year to come!

As a procedural note, I suppose this would be a good time to announce a couple characteristics of The Eternal Path. First off, I labor under a basic assumption in this story: Aizen was defeated, and Hueco Mundo has been relatively calm since then (i.e. no one tries to take it over). A secondary assumption is that Nel has a good memory of what happened ten years earlier with the whole Aizen-Ichigo thing. Since I thought the manga was lame in how it dealt with Aizen, I will give pretty much no more references to it, and instead forge ahead with my ideas for Tite Kubo's universe. For a final note, since I started The Eternal Path before the end of the Aizen arc and well before the new whatever-the-hell-is-going-on-in-the-manga arc, the new stuff is, well, absent. I hope you'll forgive me for not knowing the future, and not trying to constantly update my story with what I feel are somewhat silly canonical events. Thank you.


	9. Chapter 8: Pursuit

**CHAPTER 8: PURSUIT**

"Grimmjow…" muttered Laura Syn as she stood in the silence of Hueco Mundo beside her companion and the three childish Arrancar, the three large Adjuchas Hollows still motionless above them. "There is nothing preventing us from believing that this Espada is now a Sorrow."

"This is pretty bad," added Juno Tartini, rubbing the knuckles of her right hand against her lips. "At first we only thought humans had been converted, but if an Espada has fallen into that evil…"

"Grimmjow isunt bad aneemoe!" interrupted the tiny Nel, flailing her arms in the air as she spoke. "He's jus' bin lyed to! He made so much pwogwess…pweese dun kill him!" Juno closed her eyes and gave a sigh before answering Nel's plea, but her response was not one that comforted the little girl.

"We don't have a choice, little Nel," said Juno softly. "If your friend Grimmjow has become a Sorrow, then he has become one of the most dangerous spirits in existence. There is nothing we can do; we have to destroy him."

"Believe us, it would be better for him to die," added Laura, a phrase that only exacerbated Nel further. "If he is a Sorrow, then he is likely a mindless, heartless monster now, one who would rather tear the world in half than listen to any reason." Below, Nel whimpered for a few moments, a few tears building in her eyes, but after this moment she raised her gaze to the two Commodores.

"Sowwows…have yoo fought lots of dem?"

"Well, no, actually," replied Juno. "Neither of us has actually ever seen a Sorrow, to be honest."

"No one has in hundreds of years," added Laura. "They don't appear very often, but whenever they do, disaster always follows."

"Well, how do yoo noe dey is all bad guys?" asked Nel pressingly. "If yoo nevuh even seen wun, how do yoo noe?"

"They are terrifyingly powerful beings of destruction," replied Laura, but Nel wasn't satisfied with this response.

"Look at Nel and her brudders!" exclaimed the little Hollow. "To da Sheeneegahmi, we is da enemy! We is da bad guys! But Nel and her brudders is good; we dun hurt nobuddy, we dun eat human souls! We not da bad guys like Snake and his fwends. We is not mindwess monstuhs – we is people, jus' like yoo pwetty ladies. We have feewings too! Grimmjow has been lyed to, and Nel can't beweeve dat Grimmjow cud turn all bad!" A moment of silence permeated the group, but soon Juno took a breath and changed her tone.

"Well then, little Nel," said Juno softly and kindly with a warm smile. "Will you help us save your friend then?"

"Me?" asked Nel, pointing to herself. "No, better have Itsygo help yoo. He is stwong, not like wittle weak Nel…"

"Tell me, little one," interrupted Juno, now looking at the crack in Nel's mask. "How did you end up in this form?" Nel hesitated for a minute, but with a gulp she responded.

"Nnoitra-sama hurt me," she replied softly, feeling the crack in her mask. "He bwoke my mask and since den I bin a wittle kid like dis. I wouldn't hab even wememburred it if Itsygo hadn't come and helped us…"

"Would you like me to heal you?" asked Juno with a smile, and to this Nel's eyes grew incredibly wide.

"H…Heel me?" asked Nel. "How you gonna do dat? He bwoke my mask, and that girl wit Itsygo isn't here…"

"Little one, I am a Holy of Jizengensei," continued Juno, standing tall and proud before the little Hollow. "And I am blessed with a fine zanpakuto of extraordinary healing ability. Now then, would you like me to heal you?"

"I…" stammered Nel, much to the stress of her companions Pesche and Dondochakka, who silently looked onward wondering what her response would be. After all, it had been many years since they had seen their former mistress in her regular form, and had grown quite accustomed and fond of her childish appearance.

"W…will it hurt?"

"Of course not, child," replied Juno tenderly.

"Den yoo can at weast twy, wight?"

"That's the spirit!" said Juno, after which she took a deep breath and spoke clearly in a gentle alto tone, the wind picking up around her body and stirring the stand upon which she stood.

"Restore her, Salvador."

(break)

The little Toyota filled to the brim with passengers halted its long drive on a dock, coming to an abrupt stop that shocked and took three of the passengers completely by surprise as these lurched forward and back with startled looks in their eyes. Far from Karakura Town, Ichigo Kurosaki stepped out of the driver's seat and onto the concrete of the Tokyo shipyard, empty of all workers and humanity. Ichigo stepped towards the edge of the dock and looked down into the mucky water of the bay, then out towards the edge of the horizon not blocked by land.

"Car rides…" muttered Kisuke Uruhara from behind, he too having exited the vehicle along with Orihime, Jasper, and Declan. "They never get dull. Oy, Ichigo! What are you looking at?"

"The ocean," replied Ichigo without turning around. "I've never left Japan; I've been to Hokkaido and some of the smaller islands, but…I've never been to another country."

"It's not unlike visiting Soul Society," replied Kisuke, now standing next to Ichigo and likewise looking across the water. "Of course, the customs are completely different, particularly in America. I've only been there a couple times myself, though my friend Captain Shakuho Hitokage lived there for decades."

"Ichigo," interrupted the voice of Declan Greenleaf from behind, and to this Ichigo and Kisuke both turned around. "I must ask why we came this far."

"You said it yourself," replied Ichigo. "Apparently I'm the only one in the world who has defeated one of these Sorrow things. If there is any chance these Sorrows know that, then I don't want them anywhere near my children. If what you said is true, then they will come after me since I'm a threat."

"But what about the kids?" asked Orihime, but this only made Ichigo smile and chuckle under his breath.

"Kenpachi is there," he replied with a smile. "They'll be fine."

"And your car?" asked Kisuke. "You're all right leaving it here?"

"I hate this piece of junk," sighed Ichigo. "It's paid off, so I don't care if it gets stolen. We wanted to get a new one anyway."

"Well then, we should get moving," said Declan. "Ichigo, if you would?"

"Yeah, yeah," replied Ichigo, and he unzipped his shoulder bag and reached inside. "Dammit, stop squirming!" From within the bag a few muffled shouts and swears were uttered, causing Ichigo to fight even more to retrieve the object. "Just come out already!"

"NO! NOT WITH WHAT YOU GUYS DID TO MY FACE!"

With a lurch Ichigo succeeded, and he withdrew his hand from the bag. Clutched tightly in his fingers was a yellow and orange lion doll, though unlike a normal lifeless toy this doll was struggling fiercely and flailing its fluffy arms to break free from Ichigo's grasp.

"Let me go you creep!" growled the little lion in the most menacing nasal voice it could muster. "This is harassment! You can't do this to me and my cute, cuddly face!"

"Kon," grumbled Ichigo, already fatigued with Kon's incessant and seemingly endless whining. "You're being given the chance to prove yourself useful; stop throwing such a fit." Ichigo then dropped Kon to the ground.

"You don't understand! You haven't been transformed…INTO A MONSTER!" Kon spun around and glared at Ichigo, the doll's normal button nose now replaced with a comically large pig nose. "LOOK AT ME! Look what Uruhara-san has done to my legendary face! I'm hideous!"

"You're not hideous…" countered Ichigo, but as he did so he turned his gaze upward and away – incensing Kon even further.

"Why won't you look at me?" gasped the lion, pawing at his face with a whimper. "I'm ruined! RUINED!"

"Kon…" The lion doll stopped wailing as the voice of Declan interrupted him, and he looked up into the Holy's warm, sapphire eyes.

"Y-yes?"

"You have been given a charter by God himself," continued Declan, causing Kon to gulp. "There is a terrible evil in this world, and right now you are the only one who can find it."

"Me?" asked Kon, pointing a small felt claw at his puffy chest. "Why me?"

"That nose you were given is no mere trinket or disguise," declared Kisuke. "It is the key to finding the punk rocker."

"We have a sample that you must sniff, and then you must lead us to where the original source is located," added Declan. "Smell is the most powerful sensor in our lives, yet it is so very often overlooked. With this nose you've been given, you will be able to sniff out the original source no matter where he is in the world."

"Really?" asked Kon, his tone becoming one of advanced curiosity. "Well, then let me sniff whatever you got. But BUT…!" Kon raised an arm in defiance.

"I get to cuddle Orihime-chan during the trip."

"What?" growled Ichigo at Kon's indecent proposal.

"That's my demand!" retorted Kon with a huff. "You disfigured me, so I get Orihime's bosom for the trip. Case closed, end of story!"

"Why you…" grumbled Ichigo, his hands already in motion to throttle the doll, but before he could lay hands on Kon Orihime, his wife, intervened.

"Oh Ichigo, he's just a stuffed animal," she said lackadaisically. "I'll cuddle him while we travel."

"What?" exclaimed Ichigo, aghast at his wife's words. "N-no! I veto on principle! Kon is a ridiculously disgusting, perverted, breast-obsessed waif!"

"I am not a waif!" cried Kon. "I'm…wait, what's a waif?"

"Ichigo, it will be all right," replied Orihime, her eyes closed and a large smile on her face. Instantly Ichigo hushed up; he knew very well that a scolding was coming his way whenever Orihime made that expression.

"Kon?" asked Declan amid this row, causing the lion to look towards the handsome Holy. "Please inhale." Declan reached into a pocket on the inside of his elegant white overcoat and retracted a plain, ordinary rock, no different from any other one might encounter from day to day. It was small and gray, round and featureless, but as Kon leaned over and sniffed it, the smell of the rock sent the tiny stuffed lion into a temporary state of psychosis.

For several moments the lion simply stood and twitched, his face screwed up as though he were experiencing utmost joy, deep thought, bone-chilling terror, and dizzying confusion all at the same time. This twitching continued, though with it Ichigo noticed the pig nose on Kon's face was sniffing, deeply inhaling with each sharp jerk of his stuffed body.

"Declan-san…" asked Ichigo slowly during this peculiar act. "What was that you had him smell?"

"This was a piece of the ground where the punk rocker had walked," answered Declan, placing the rock back in his pocket. "Kisuke was kind enough to give it to me during our trip here."

"So Kon's smelling this guy from the rock?"

"Sort of," continued Declan. "A fully developed Sorrow is constantly destroying their own spirits for energy, and as a result their bodies are constantly ejecting fully shredded spirit matter – which, unfortunately, we cannot track. Since Kisuke had been near the punk rocker at the time when a new sorrow was formed, however, there are traces of the partially destroyed spirit matter from that new Sorrow – traces which Kon will be able to locate. In other words, Kon is smelling the newer Sorrow, not the punk rocker – but if my theory is correct then both will be at the same location."

"Why would that be?" asked Orihime.

"History has shown us that new Sorrows are like infants in regards to their power," answered Declan. "They need guidance, training, and comfort to fully mature and regain a semblance of control."

"Has he found it yet?" asked Jasper, looking down in disdain at the horrific appearance of Kon, his nose, and his odd expressions. "He looks like he's having a seizure…"

"He is simply adjusting to the new use of his senses," quipped Declan with a smile. "For him, this is probably similar to learning how to walk."

"I…" stammered Kon, his nasal, high-pitched voice trembling and wavering as he spoke. "I think I've found him…"

"Can you tell where it is?" asked Declan. Below, Kon slowly nodded amid his bizarre facial performance.

"It's to the southeast…" muttered Kon. "It's far…very far…"

"Excellent," said Declan with a clap of his hands, after which he again reached into a pocket inside his white jacket. "Don't lose scent of the location; even though you have likely never seen it, it is a very real place, and you will need to take us there."

"How will he do that?" asked Ichigo, but before Declan replied the Holy pulled out a small, clear, round stone from his pocket, smooth like a pebble, yet bright and fiery as a diamond.

"We'll use this." Declan held the stone up, allowing sunlight to shine through it and increasing its already exuberant radiance.

"But Declan…" started Jasper. "If we use that again, will we be able to get back home?" Declan paused for a moment and looked down at the stone, as did all eyes among the group (save Kon, who was still undergoing spasms).

"What is that rock?" asked Ichigo, his eyes never leaving the brilliant, fiery gem.

"This Celestial tool…" mused Declan, turning the stone around in his fingers. "You won't believe me when I tell you, but this was a gift from God."

"From God?" asked Kisuke, his eyes raising from the stone to Declan's.

"Yes," answered the Head Commodore. "It is called a Senkensha Stone, and it is something that I was given after we had saved the worlds from the Viajante ten years ago. It is a curious artifact; its function goes beyond my capability for understanding, but if my theory on its workings is correct, then it is a stone that utilizes a spirit's faith to transport from one point to any other in the universe."

"So you've already used this Senkensha Stone?" asked Ichigo, peering closer at the gem after hearing Declan's description. "And how do you mean it works by faith?"

"To the first question, yes, we have used it," replied Declan. "I was given two of these stones, and I gave one to my wife while using this one to bring Jasper and myself to your realm. To the second question, again it is only my theory, but this stone garners its' power from the faith of a spirit. This is quite different from functioning through a spirit's power; it's almost as if it needs to be told what to do – almost as though it were alive. However, if a spirit is weak in faith, or if the request for transport is gutless, it won't function at all. Truly, it is a marvelous device…"

"But my question…" continued Jasper. "How many times can we use it?"

"This tool was crafted by perfect beings," answered Declan. "We, in our weak, imperfect bodies, with our weak, imperfect hearts and souls…I am guessing that we can use it no more than three times total. Judging by the loss of internal brilliance from the first use, I suspect it will lose its power and stability after two more uses."

"So that means the lion doll needs to succeed on his first try," observed Jasper, rubbing his chin with his hand for a moment. "Ichigo…does this spirit have great faith?"

"Kon…?" stammered Ichigo, his mind starting to panic as he put two and two together. "He's an idiot…I don't know if he has any power or strength at all…"

"That's not what I asked," said Jasper, now pointing down towards the lion doll. "I asked if he has great faith." Ichigo wasn't entirely sure what to say now that he thought of Jasper's words more in depth. True, Kon was a fool, but he always seemed confident in Ichigo and Rukia – even when all odds were against them. True, Kon's annoying tone and lack of skill made him a burden at times, but to be honest, he had never once given up hope – for fleeting moments, yes, but overall no.

"I suppose he could…" answered Ichigo slowly, but that seemed to be enough for Declan who smiled big and picked up Kon, the little doll seemingly not noticing his capture.

"Excellent," said Declan happily, and with a single movement he shoved the stone into Kon's little mouth.

"OOMFH!" gagged Kon, wrenched back into reality by Declan's forceful, uncomfortable violation. "What the hell do you think you're doing shoving that thing down my throat? Do you even know where that has been? You probably got it all sweaty in your hands! I'm diseased!" Kon began to frantically paw at his face in a vain attempt to dislodge the stone, but after only a few seconds Declan spoke up and silenced both his voice and actions.

"Kon, we need your faith."

"Faith?" asked Kon. "To be honest, I don't think I know what faith really is."

"Fair enough," laughed Declan. "You are like the rest of us then. But your lack of understanding aside, I need you to dig deep down into your soul and gather all the confidence and courage you can muster. I need you, Kon, to take us to where we need to go."

"Everyone, please hold hands in a circle," commanded Jasper, and the group did as commanded while Jasper place his free hand on Declan's shoulder. Declan, meanwhile, placed his free left hand gently onto Kon's fuzzy head, and with a smile he addressed him again.

"Believe, Kon, and it will happen."

"And when we start moving I can cuddle with Orihime's chest?"

"As much as you desire," answered Declan, his smile growing slightly more mischievous, though Kon did not pick up on it.

"Then I will not fail you!" exclaimed Kon exuberantly. "On my honor, I will take you where you need to go, and then I will get all the cuddles I could ever dream of! Yes!" Upon finishing, Kon closed his eyes tightly and began to emanate an unpleasant sound one might hear coming from a bathroom after a difficult meal. The sound intensified, and Ichigo found his muscles instinctively acting up in desire to tear the stuffed animal apart, but before he could do anything the scene instantly, magically changed. The temperature suddenly dropped, and what was a sunny day in Tokyo had now vanished, replaced completely by a cold, dark, snowy field of low visibility.

"Now, I get to touch Orihime's…" started Kon, reaching towards the redhead wife of Ichigo, but his words were cut short as he too realized that he was standing in snow. "Wait…what? What is going on?"

"You've done well, Kon," declared Declan amid the light snowfall. "Now then, please tell us if we are close."

"Wh…wha…?" gasped Kon, oblivious to Declan's request. "But…but I…BUT I WANTED CUDDLES! YOU TRICKED ME!"

"I never told you how long the journey would take," replied Declan.

"I can't believe you would do this to me!" ranted Kon, pointing his felt claw angrily at the Holy. "I don't even know you, and already I am sure you're the worst person in the world!

"Next time, little one," said Declan. "But please answer; how close are we?"

"We're only a little bit away!" growled Kon, folding his arms and turning away from Declan in a huff. "Whatever I'm smelling is coming from just a few miles that way." Kon extended an arm and pointed for a moment, then returned to pouting.

"Thank you," replied Declan, who then stepped towards Kon and gave the back of his head a little bop, after which the clear stone fell out of his mouth.

"Ow!" grumbled Kon, rubbing his head. "You really are the worst person…!"

"I promise Kon, it will be made up to you," interrupted Declan. "Now then, we must start moving; we don't know what safeguards or surveillances might be under the Sorrow's control, so quickness is critical. I will lead the way." Declan turned and headed off in the direction Kon has indicated, followed immediately by Jasper and Kisuke. Ichigo and Orihime on the other hand didn't immediately follow, these instead stood shivering in the cold wintry air, all while Kon remained pouting where he stood. Declan and the others did not get far before realizing this fact, and with a nod from his superior Jasper walked back towards the two humans.

"We forgot you were still mortals," chuckled Jasper while raising his hands and placing one on Ichigo's shoulder and the other on Orihime. "This should help you with the cold. Thirty-Seven: Burning Bosom."

Jasper withdrew his hands and walked back to his superior, and in the meantime Ichigo and Orihime felt a sudden change in their bodies. Cold was completely and totally eliminated, replaced by a comforting warmth that took all of their shivers away.

"Wow!" exclaimed Orihime as she noticed this effect. "It's like a hot pad has been turned on inside my body! Come on Ichigo, lets go!" With joy Orihime sprinted towards the others, her arms held out like an airplane in her joyful surprise.

"Yeah," replied Ichigo slowly, and with a firm grasp he grabbed Kon's head and threw him into his shoulder bag.

"Hey!" shouted Kon. "Whaddya think you're doing Ichigo?"

"Just shut up and come along," grumbled Ichigo. "Sheesh, you do something amazing, and still you can't stop complaining. I'm going to have Ishida sew your mouth shut."

"Screw you!" retorted Kon, but before another ugly word could be uttered from the pig-nosed lion Ichigo zipped his bag shut, reducing the coarse language to mere muffles.

"Ichigo!" called out Declan from up ahead. "Would you come up here with me for a moment?" Ichigo picked up his pace through the soft snow, plowing a new path as he passed the others in the light snowfall, and within moments he was trudging along by Declan's side.

"What is it?" he asked. Declan smiled at this question, his eyes not leaving the snowy way before them.

"It is time to tell you of your legacy," replied Declan. "While we walk, I will relate to you your own story…

"The Legend of Ichigo."

(break)

In the everlasting darkness of Hueco Mundo, the Adjuchas Hollows Snake, Mono, and Poseído finally fell to the ground, their bodies having been completely still and silent for several hours after Laura's technique. With great heaving and deep, labored breathing the three got back up to their feet and shook the sand off from their massive, horrifying bodies.

"Damn her…" stammered Snake, his voice grinding and weakened. "That bitch…how could she do such a dishonorable thing to us?"

"That was worse than anything Aizen ever tried to pull…" added Mono, he too having difficulty speaking as he held his chest as he tried to accustom himself to breathing again. "Such a devious, villainous technique…"

"We should find them now," declared the skeletal Poseído, his many tentacles moving slowly after the induced comatose condition. "We should kill them all!"

"Yes…" started Snake, but before he could say any other words a voice on the wind greeted them, almost as an afterthought, but so penetrating and so real that the three Hollows felt they could grasp the words like low-hanging fruit.

_I can give you power…_

"What was…" started Snake softly, looking around for the origin of the voice but finding no one. "What was that?"

"You heard it too?" asked Poseído, but once again the voice appeared for them to hear.

_Go to the world of the living…and you will be given power. Search for them, and you will gain your revenge._

Whereas one would expect the three Hollows to continue questioning the motives of this unknown speaker, something in the words, whether the literal meaning or the power behind them touched their blackened souls, and as though horse blinders had been slapped upon their faces they completely lost all sense of personal desire and thought.

"We should go to the Real World…" said Snake softly and monotone, his will being completely sapped from him. His two ghoulish companions nodded, and with flash of black darkness the three were gone.

**Next: CHAPTER 9 – THE LEGEND OF ICHIGO**

**BONUS!** I'm back. Lot happened the last…gosh has it been two months? Holy crap! Oh, and if you haven't read anything in this story for a while, I recommend going over chapter 5 as a refresher in Sorrow Studies.


	10. Chapter 9: Legend of Ichigo

**CHAPTER 9: THE LEGEND OF ICHIGO**

"The Legend of Ichigo?"

Ichigo Kurosaki blinked for a moment as he stopped in the snowdrifts of the unknown Himalayan locale. Ahead, Declan likewise stopped, as did the others behind them, a look as though he expected Ichigo's curious response.

"Well, obviously it isn't _really_ called that," started Declan with a nervous chuckle. "I thought I would just call it that to help you attach yourself to it. Its true name is the 'Legend of the Archangel'."

"Why didn't you just call it that from the beginning?" pressed Ichigo, his eyelids drooping in disappointment. "I mean, I am an adult – I do get things from time to time."

"I could have, yes," replied Declan. "But I felt it would have lesser effect upon you. You see if I called it the 'Legend of the Archangel', you might go about not believing me. It would become some fantastic story that couldn't possibly have been you – the actual, living, real you, Ichigo. Furthermore, no one is really sure of your old name; that is why you are referred to in the story as the Archangel."

"Why is that?" asked Ichigo, to which Declan smiled.

"You will see," said the Holy. "We have some time before we get to wherever Kon is leading us, so I will tell it to you verbatim. It is in more of a biblical tone, so I hope that doesn't bother you."

"Biblical?" asked Kisuke behind them from beneath his green and white hat.

"We too have volumes of scripture in Jizengensei," answered Declan. "And as it so happens, the 'Legend of the Archangel' is required memorization upon graduating from the School of Saints."

"This legend is much more than a fancy tale of days gone by," interjected the Holy Jasper Reed. "It embodies the complete, desired nature we Holies aspire to instill within ourselves. In the words scribed into the legend, the true purpose of the Holy can be derived, and by the precepts of the Archangel we can better ourselves and our craft."

"The Archangel – by which I mean, you, Ichigo – was the last great prophet of Jizengensei," continued Declan. "Of course there were others with you and even after, but you and your companion were, well, legendary. Of all the many great leaders, the Archangel, the Red Nova, and the Lightbringer are held in the highest glory and esteem. But enough pomp – I will tell you and your friends this sacred tale. Listen closely; each and every word and letter is important, and by this I hope to rekindle your soul."

(break)

_In the days of the Elders Zipporah, Emrah, and Ulnius a call went out among the Grand Thirteen, a terror long since forgot having shown its face._

_And to each of the Grands the warriors of Jizengensei gathered, eager to hear the word._

_Darkness had gathered around a fated soul, their sins and envies tearing at their heart of hearts, forgiveness given but rejected by pride._

_It was during the great gathering that Emrah the Elder, son of Hezrom perished, pasaje forced thereupon by some unknown means and by some unknown hand._

_Word reached the Holies and Saints, and fear welled up as a river overflowing from the deluge._

_Our end is near, thought they who gathered. The immortal soul is vanquished, thought they further, as souls could not be felled by blood in the everlasting world._

_But this fear was quenched by him, the Archangel, the Head of the Holies and prophet of God, his head aflame with power and majesty, and he and the Red Nova went among the Grand Thirteen to dispel the fear overtaken in their hearts._

_Therein was their message well received, and the Archangel and Red Nova did well to comfort the hearts of the frightened Holies, all of whom feared their lives would shortly end with the worlds of the mortals and spirit-mortals._

_For even the worlds of mortals and spirit-mortals must have ended with the advent of the vile darkness, the Sorrow, and as that serpent of darkness reared his amethyst eyes upon the Jizengensei, again fear overtook the hearts of the Holies and Saints._

_Four days and nights after the death of Emrah, Zipporah the Elder died in her own home at the hand of the vile darkness._

_Twelve men and zanpakuto marched in and attacked, but they too were obliterated without raising their weapons before the Sorrow's terrible might._

_The vile darkness then flew through the air as a star falling from heaven, breathing destruction upon the lands and souls below, until he came to the north near La Cuarta._

_There the vile darkness plunged into the earth in his rage and burning hatred, and that day two million souls were lost, among them the final Elder Ulnius, and the place where the vile darkness plunged became a great ocean of water._

_The vile darkness then turned his vengeful eye to the south, and there he flew again, burning the air with his disdain for life._

_It was in the fifth day since the death of Emrah that the vile darkness was confronted, and the Archangel and Red Nova stood before his burning, shining gaze._

_Not since the days of the Lightbringer has such sadness come upon a soul, said the Archangel to the vile darkness, and the darkness said unto him, What have I over which to grieve?_

_Have I not surpassed the laws of your God? Have I not broken the barriers of death? Only one voice and one mind do I heed, and glory shall be mine forever and ever._

_It was then the Sorrow, the vile darkness, released his anger upon them._

_Great and terrible was that day in which the vile darkness breathed out his wrath. Violet streams of death and fury rent the land and city, and those too weak and slow could not escape the tempest of evil._

_Onward and onward dragged the battle, and deeper and deeper grew the pit in the Archangel's soul._

_For much had been lost since the onset of battle, and the Priesthoods of the Holy God were having no effect upon the vile darkness and its terrifying power._

_It was then during the ferocious war that the Red Nova was felled by the profane hand of Sorrow, and the whole world began to weep for both the great loss and the fear of certain death, but the Archangel held true against the pressure of darkness, and called upon the Piercer of Heaven in this darkest of hours._

_For the Piercer of Heaven feigned not to make war for fear and worry, he having no faith in his own ability granted by his maker the Archangel, and he having terrible fear of the Sorrow before them._

_Nevertheless, the Archangel did draw out his zanpakuto, and together he and the Piercer of Heaven did smite down the diabolical Sorrow to the ground, and did burst the filthy soul, sending it to burn forever and ever in endless torment without reprieve nor escape._

_For such it must be with the Sorrow, that they may never destroy the children of God again._

(break)

"So…" started Ichigo after the tale had been told, rubbing his chin with his hand as he stood in the snow, unaffected by the cold thanks to Jasper's technique. "That's it? He just destroyed the Sorrow with the 'Piercer of Heaven'?"

"I don't think you took away the right message, Ichigo," replied Declan. "You destroyed a being that wiped out millions of souls in a matter of hours. Even the famed Red Nova was killed, yet you survived."

"But, that story didn't say anything, if you think about it," retorted Ichigo. "All it said was that the Archangel won. Didn't say how, didn't say how long."

"Well, I suppose that…"

"I mean, wasn't this supposed to be some all important, life-changing story?" continued Ichigo, his temper beginning to rise after feeling they had just wasted time. "So this Archangel was great and everyone loved him. How is that supposed to help me beat these…" Ichigo suddenly stopped speaking, his eyes wide and his face lightly trembling.

"Ichi?" asked Orihime from behind. "Ichi, are you all right?" Ahead, however, Ichigo did not respond, his mind invisibly racing like a bolt of light across the universe.

_What the…_ he started to think, even his own thoughts having a hard time forming. _What the hell is happening to me…?_

(break)

_The day had been colder, far too cold for the typical summer weather of La Quinta, northwest of the equatorial Primera district, the central location of the planetary city of Jizengensei. It was in this section that the man who became Ichigo Kurosaki lived, despite being named the Head Commodore of the Thirteen Holy Commissions. What his former name was still remained unknown, but as the man stepped out onto the balcony of his cliffside home overlooking the massive stretch of city protruding to the south, a woman soon joined him and addressed him from behind._

_"Archangel…" said the woman. "There is something wrong out there…"_

_Archangel turned around to see his wife and Holy companion, the famed Red Nova, Commodore of the Second Holy Commission, beautiful beyond comprehension with her long, flowing red hair and kind, warm grey eyes._

_"It's just the weather," replied Archangel with a smile and nervous laugh, though inside he knew this to be a lie. Every Holy in Jizengensei would have felt the wave of sadness accompanying the front of cool air, and his attempt to deflect the seriousness of the situation failed with his wife._

_"Do not lie, husband," she counseled. "You and I both know well that this is no ordinary cold."_

_"You are right," replied Archangel, turning his gaze outward once again. "It's just that, I've never felt anything like this before. It is so sad, so sullen…"_

_"It is like all the happiness were suddenly gone from the entire world," added Red Nova, stepping forward to her husband's side. "But what could cause such great sorrow?" Red Nova's eyes suddenly grew wide as she and Archangel both realized the same thing._

_"A Sorrow…" whispered Archangel, closing his eyes and placing his face into his hands. "How could this have happened?"_

_"There hasn't been a Sorrow formed since the days of the Lightbringer," wondered Red Nova. "And even if it were, such a thing happening in Jizengensei is impossible."_

_"When there is evil in the realms of existence, nothing is impossible," declared Archangel. "But this is what we Holies prepare for; it is our sacred duty to destroy and wipe from existence these fallen souls. I am confident that now, after having been thoroughly trained after the manner of the Lightbringer, our subordinates can defeat this terrible being."_

_"Archangel…" Behind, Red Nova lowered her face out of fear and sadness, closing her eyes and turning away, but as she did so Archangel placed his hand under her chin and directed her face back towards his as he tried to give her a reassuring smile._

_"We should have faith in our subordinates," he said softly. "And besides, spirits cannot die in this realm. Even a Sorrow cannot truly die, but be dispersed in the Witherstone Wastelands. Whatever darkness befalls us, I am sure we will succeed."_

_"Dear husband…" Red Nova smiled back at her caring companion, and she reached forward to embrace him in his handsome white uniform – but before she could touch him an intense, acute, piercing feeling of dread and death overtook them, disappearing almost as soon as it had come upon the whole household. From out beyond in the great distance, a column of deep, dark blackness shot into the sky from beyond the horizon, in the direction of Primera._

_"What the…?" started Archangel, but before he could finish that unpleasant thought brought upon by the sudden, fearful appearance, a loud voice from the base of the cliff interrupted him._

_"LORD ARCHANGEL! LADY RED NOVA!"_

_Two hundred feet below a dark-haired man appeared dressed in a handsome, long white suit, his face frantic and covered in sweat._

_"Officer Jeroboam?" called out Archangel to his Officer. "What happened? What was that column of darkness?"_

_"There has been an attack!" replied Jeroboam, his voice panicked and distraught. "Communion One has been destroyed!"_

_"What?" gasped Archangel, his heart beginning to pound violently. Then, from behind in the house, a woman's voice came across the Seer's Saucer upon the table._

_"…Head Commodore Archangel! Are you there?"_

_"Go with Jeroboam," commanded Archangel to his wife Red Nova, to which she nodded in agreement before leaping off the balcony. "Yes, I'm here."_

_"…Head Commodore, this is Jezre'el. A terrible tragedy has befallen Communion One!"_

_"My Officer just informed me," replied Archangel, walking over to and standing above the Seer Saucer. There in the mildly disturbed fluid within appeared a beautiful brunette woman with strong middle-eastern features, her face as panicked as Jeroboam's. "Who is behind the attack?"_

_"…We don't know," replied Jezre'el. "The strike was so swift and sudden, we couldn't see the perpetrator. Whoever did this is already gone, but the damage done…"_

_"Revive the injured Holies as soon as you can," delegated Archangel, but to this Jezre'el shook her head as tears began streaming down her face._

_"…They cannot be revived," said Jezre'el softly. "Archangel – they're all dead! Their blood has been spilt and their souls have been forcefully dispersed into pasaje!"_

_"Forcefully? How is that possible?"_

_"…I don't know," continued Jezre'el, her tears increasing as she spoke. "Commodores Chang and Mbala of the Fifth and Sixth Commissions were killed in the blast, along with fifty Holies and countless Saints. The entire Communion One complex is completely gone!" For a moment Archangel was silent, having placed his head into his hands while giving several heavy sighs._

_"Arrange to gather the remaining Holies together in the Grotto of La Segunda," said Archangel. "Maximum security, total surveillance. I'll be there immediately. Send the remaining Saints somewhere safe; they should not be put at risk since they are not yet proven warriors. Make haste, Commodore Jezre'el Halan."_

_"…Y-yes sir," said Jezre'el, after which her face disappeared from the saucer and leaving Archangel alone in his house. For a few seconds he stood there, his head hung low, his hands supporting him upon the table as his heart and soul felt weak._

_**How could souls be killed in Jizengensei?**__ thought the Archangel, the news almost too much to believe and ingest. __**Is this truly the work of a Sorrow? Could any creature have such power?**__ Then, with a blur and rush of wind Archangel vanished from the room into relampago, the Holies' mode of high-speed movement, similar to shunpo – though orders of magnitude faster._

_Below the city danced away as Archangel flew, his feet only touching the ground every ten or twelve miles. As he neared the part of the world wherein Primera and La Segunda were found, however, the air became exceedingly cold and bitter, causing his immortal spirit body to shiver for lack of warmth. This was particularly distressing considering that La Segunda was one of two highly tropical zones, it and Primera bordering the expansive Southern Jizengensei Ocean; not once in all his life had Archangel been to these zones without it having perfect, warm, beautiful weather._

_At his incredible speed, it did not take long for Archangel, the fastest among all Holies, to reach the Grotto, a large, lush canyon high in the Southern Mountains and positioned only a few miles form the coast. This section was the most secure of all Jizengensei due to its height and accessibility, there being only one reasonable entrance to the short jungle canyon. Archangel brought his relampago to a halt at this entrance, giving him view of the dark, canopy-darkened interior. Indeed, above the entire canyon – which stretched into the mountain only a few hundred yards – there was a large, expansive canopy of tree limbs and vines, hiding out the sun but for a few speckles of light, and effectively hiding it from aerial view._

_A few steps inward and Archangel saw what he had been expecting: Holies, gathered in the dozens (save the fifty who had just perished), standing in the trees and rocks of the canyon. Inside it was very humid and comfortable despite the cold, the canopy acting as insulation, yet this comfortable feeling did nothing to quell the anguish and fear in the hearts of all in attendance. As Archangel approached the group, a handsome, blonde-haired man in a fine white suit and cloak approached him._

_"Head Commodore Archangel!" addressed the man, known as Commodore Cyrus Nebuchadnezzar of the Eighth Commission. "We came as soon as Jezre'el gave the word! But we have lost three Commodores and so many Holies…"_

_"Three?" asked Archangel, his voice worried upon hearing the news. "I was told only Chang and Mbala were killed…"_

_"I saw it myself," continued Cyrus, his voice pained and his face distraught at the memory. "I am the only survivor of that brutal attack on Communion One, and I saw it from start to finish. One of our own Commodores, even the Commodore over the Thirteenth Commission…he has become a Sorrow." Archangel's eyes widened and his heart skipped a beat upon hearing these words uttered by Cyrus, and for several moments he could not speak, the thought too difficult to even comprehend._

_"The G-Giant?" gasped Archangel, his voice trembling and crackling. "The Giant has fallen into sorrow?"_

_"Indeed, the man considered by many to be the Fourth Legend," said a voice from behind, and Archangel turned to see Commodore Jezre'el, her beautiful amber eyes stained from tears. "The Giant has fallen, Archangel. He has forsaken all the glory his life and memory would have given him, and now he is aligned to the will of darkness. We are blessed that none of the Elders were there…"_

_"This…this can't be happening!" cried out Archangel, tears coming to his eyes as his mind wandered through his memories of the Giant. "He's my best friend…he's the strongest Holy I've ever known! How could this have happened?" Behind Jezre'el, Officer Jeroboam and Commodore Red Nova appeared, their hands bloodied and their appearances distraught and defeated._

_"Archangel…" started Red Nova, her face covered in drying tears, her beautiful grey eyes saddened beyond their limit. "I couldn't save any of them."_

_"Whatever happened, even the will of the Divine Blossom cannot revive them," added Jeroboam, his face held low and his eyes not rising from the ground._

_"It was the Giant…" muttered Archangel, still stuck in a state of utter disbelief. "The Giant has become a Sorrow." To these words Red Nova gasped, her eyes filling anew with tears, and thus filled she began to weep, falling upon her knees in her despair._

_"HEAD COMMODORE ARCHANGEL!"_

_From the head of the covered jungle canyon a loud, frantic voice called out, and the entire collection of Holies turned their attention to a short, trembling Holy, his eyes shaking and his brown hair erratic and distraught._

_"Officer Gestault?" asked Archangel, doing his best to shake his incredulous state. "What is it? What has happened now?"_

_"Elder Emrah has been found dead in his home!"_

_A collective cry of terror erupted from the collective, and bedlam ensued. Panic-stricken spirits began weeping uncontrollably, while others cursed God and wished to perish, yet amidst all this terrible profanity and despair a single, piercing voice silenced the throng._

_"REPENT, SINFUL SOULS!" cried out Archangel, his face red with anger towards his weak subordinates. "To us is given a single charter – to protect the souls of the unborn, and here you are cursing God the second our task becomes arduous? The enemy of all, the Sorrow, has appeared, and you shirk your duty?"_

_"But Head Commodore, this thing is killing immortal spirits!" cried out a Holy nearby, a young woman with distress and terror written across her face and body. "This hasn't happened before…how are we supposed to fight something like this?"_

_"This monster wiped out Communion One in an instant!" added another Holy, this being a dark-skinned young man with wild hair. "This is like nothing in the history of Jizengensei!" Following these two comments, the large group of Holies again began to murmur, but once again Archangel silenced them._

_"This is not the first time a terrible destructive force has entered Jizengensei," declared Archangel. "Do you not believe in the tale of the First Sorrow?"_

_"The First Sorrow is just that – a tale," declared another Holy, this being the male Officer of the Third Commission named Ming Xu'quiang. "It couldn't have possibly happened; it's too extreme…"_

_"It is more real than any of you know!" retorted Archangel. "It is no mere children's story, nor some fanciful parable; the tale of the First Sorrow is true, and the First Sorrow is he that wiped out not a few souls, but two-thirds of all premortal spirits living at the time! Not only that, but also these spirits were consumed by the First Sorrow, unable to progress further! And yet despite that terrible power, this First Sorrow was defeated – by the Holies of Jizengensei! Do not sell yourselves short; you have great power, and the enemy caught us by surprise."_

_"Archangel…" said Red Nova, looking up to her husband's eyes. "I will follow you to whatever end, but there is a problem."_

_"A problem?" asked Archangel._

_"We cannot track the Giant," she continued. "His spirit has completely vanished from my senses."_

_"What?" pressed Archangel, confused at what he was hearing from his wife. "What do you mean 'we can't track him'? A being like that, expelling that much energy…"_

_"The Sorrow destroys itself to gain power," declared Commodore Cyrus. "It obliterates its own spirit matter, rendering it neutered. Furthermore, right now Jizengensei is becoming saturated with these torn fragments, so much so that we cannot detect where the Sorrow is at any moment."_

_"So you're saying we're blind fighting against this demon?"_

_"Correct, sir," answered Cyrus. For a moment Archangel was quiet, but he raised his head and with a loud voice addressed the group, enriching their souls with his energy and sincerity._

_"Then we will fight blind! God is on our side, and He will be our eyes!"_

_For several minutes there was silence among the group – long, awkward silence, with each and every Holy feeling increased confidence yet fear to speak up. After all, in the face of death, the true nature of the soul often times is expressed, and this true nature is a frightened, weak, trembling state. Spirits in Jizengensei were, in fact, infants on the long Eternal Path, and Archangel recognized this fact._

_"First," declared Archangel after this long break of silence. "Commodore Cyrus Nebuchadnezzar, what remains of your commission?"_

_"I have five Holies remaining," replied Cyrus. "My Officer and the remaining five Holies were killed at Communion One."_

_"Then take with you five of my Holies," continued Archangel, pointing to five of the Holies of the First Holy Commission, these five immediately heeding his call and appearing next to Cyrus. "Officer Jeroboam Shal'el, you will go with Commodore Cyrus, and together the twelve of you will go and gather Emrah's body."_

_"Yes, sir," answered Cyrus._

_"I am not worried about Elder Ulnius," continued Archangel. "He is a tremendously powerful spirit in the Priesthoods; however, Elder Zipporah will be at her home, and she will need protection. After finding Emrah and brining him here, go and protect Zipporah."_

_"Understood," agreed Cyrus, after which he directed his attention at the ten Holies and Officer. "Holies, let us depart." With a gentle rumble of distant lightning the twelve vanished, leaving Archangel Red Nova, and Jezre'el in the center of the remaining Holies._

_"What of the rest of us?" asked Jezre'el. "What should we do?"_

_"Depart into your respective commissions," answered Archangel. "Those of you who have lost your superiors, go with another. We will scour the expanse of Jizengensei like a fine comb, and we will hunt down this monster! Now then, arrange yourselves and depart!"_

_A collective shout of agreement rang out, and after several seconds everyone in the Grotto had departed save Archangel and his remaining five Holies, the rest of them having gone with Cyrus._

_"My friends, accompany me to the home of the Giant," commanded Archangel, to which his five faithful subordinates nodded. "We must find out what happened to the Fourth Legend."_

**Next: CHAPTER 10 – FALL OF THE GIANT**

**BONUS!**

"And now you have to drink your tea!" commanded Akahana Kurosaki to her table guests – one a tiny, pink-haired girl no larger than the Kurosaki girl, the other her little brother Kenji, at the time busying himself by blowing up the silverware in his imaginative universe. There was also a fourth guest sitting at the tiny table fitted with fine china and teapots, yet this guest towered above the others.

"But there ain't any tea…" grumbled Kenpachi Zaraki, his massive body barely supported by the tiny chair, his back hunched over and his non-covered eye glossed over in disappointment. "Yachiru always has real tea, even though it usually tastes like she drew it straight from the pond."

"Oh you big meanie!" complained Yachiru after taking an imagined sip from her cup. "My tea is the finest in Soul Society!"

"Then you haven't been to the Kuchiki place then," grumbled Kenpachi, turning his stare out the window of the kid's room. "His tea is kickass." For a moment the group was silent, and Kenpachi turned to see the Kurosaki children with the hands over their mouths and their eyes as wide as could be.

"Y-you just said a bad word!" gasped Akahana. "I'm gonna tell my dad!"

"Good!" exclaimed Kenpachi, unabashed at Akahana's threat. "I've been waiting way too long to fight him!"

"Um, Kenpaki-san?" Kenpachi looked down to see little Kenji who was staring down at the table, his eyes now somewhat sullen.

"Not Kenpaki, it's Kenpachi," replied the Captain of Squad Eleven.

"Dere's someone outside lookin' at us," continued the little boy. "Dere's two of dem." Kenpachi turned and looked out the window, looking for these individuals, but he could sense nothing.

"You sure, kid?" asked Kenpachi, standing up and walking towards the window to get a better view. "Yachiru, you sense anyone?"

"Nope! Hee hee!" replied the little Yachiru, not taking even a second to check as she played with the tea set.

"All right, I'll go outside and check it out," said Kenpachi, pulling a pouch out of his pocket from which he drew out a small green pill. "My gigai will stay here, but you're in charge, Yachiru."

"Aye aye, sir!" exclaimed the little lieutenant, and with this confirmation Kenpachi placed the pill into his mouth. Immediately upon swallowing, his spirit shinigami form separated from his body.

"You, stay here and play with the kids," commanded Kenpachi to his gigai.

"Yes," replied the Gigai, returning to the tiny chair and table. Meanwhile, the real Kenpachi drew his long, chipped katana and walked towards the front door of the house.

Meanwhile, outside several houses away, two sets of burning, violet eyes appeared from behind a rooftop, the eyes scowling and glowing with excitement.

"Target acquired," whispered one of these individuals, its voice high-pitched and intense. "The children of the Archangel have been found."

**SECOND BONUS!**

For you Fanfiction readers, there has apparently been a change in the internal software that this website uses. The result is a totally messed up format transfer (including some spacing issues...), and I've had to go through and reformat almost the entire chapter inside the website's document manager. It is possible I missed something, so if you find a format error, please let me know. Oh, and as a reminder, the word (break) appears in place of normal dash breaks because, as before, Fanfiction stopped recognizing those for some stupid reason. Obviously, a better way to recieve these chapters IMO is to join my illustrious email list via private message. Thank you.**  
**


	11. Chapter 10: Fall of the Giant

**CHAPTER 10: FALL OF THE GIANT**

_"…Connection complete. Priesthood of the Fifth Heaven, The High Luminosity of Enish-go-on-dosh, Forty-five: Whispering Wind. Archangel, can you hear me?"_

_"Cyrus?" replied Archangel to the gentle voice in his ears as he and his Holy Commission flew effortlessly across the water towards the distant district La Duodécima, far to the south beyond the expansive southern sea of Jizengensei. "Sounds like Whispering Wind is working perfectly. Please initiate the Shared Vision."_

_"…Of course," replied the voice of Cyrus Nebuchadnezzar inside Archangel's ears. "With the Whispering Wind activated, this priesthood manifestation should have no issues with the distance between us; but to make sure, I will use the full incantation. Priesthood of the Eighth Heaven, The Eternal Lights of Kliflosises, Seventy-seven: Shared Vision."_

_As though a light had been turned on inside of Archangel's head Cyrus' own vision became clearly visible to the Head Commodore, this dual view not causing any disorientation whatsoever for either of the two commodores. Inside his mind, Archangel could see what Cyrus could see: a quiet, marble-stoned mansion of exquisite beauty and design, replete with extensively colored stained-glass windows and rare woods._

_"Elder Zipporah should be inside," said Cyrus, looking off to the side and motioning for two Holies to go to her door. "We'll stand guard here and protect Zipporah."_

_"Good," answered Archangel, the far shore of the southern sea now becoming visible under their fantastic speed with relampago. "Keep your mind open; we're almost to the town of the Giant."_

_"Understood," replied Cyrus as ahead the female Elder Zipporah answered her door and let the Holies in. "Be careful, Archangel."_

_"You as well," said Archangel, and with a few seconds he and his team of five Holies had come to a stop upon the sandy seashore of La Duodécima. Being so much further south than the tropical Primera and Segunda districts, La Duodécima was much cooler and forested with pines. This district was also one of the largest in area, due mostly to the fact that very few spirits lived in this rather wild and untamed environment, not unlike northern parts of Asia and the continent eventually known as North America._

_"The village should be only a short distance from here," declared the Holy Zeezrom, a bold, black haired, and very handsome man and third in command of the First Holy Commission to the others. "Anthony, please prepare the Frontier of Fortune; don't risk anything – use the full incantation with as much faith as you can muster." Behind, a young redheaded Holy named Anthony D'Artana stepped forward and raised his hands until they were perpendicular before his body._

_"Priesthood of the Second Heaven, " called out Anthony firmly in a low tenor. "The Lunar Splendor of Floeese, Number Twelve: Frontier of Fortune." Beyond the group of Holies the air silently flickered green around them for several seconds, after which it returned to normal._

_"Will that be strong enough?" asked one of the Holies, this a lovely blond, blue-eyed girl named Helena Mason with long golden hair. "We are dealing with a Sorrow here…"_

_"This is my specialty," replied Anthony confidently. "If anything tries to pass the moving Frontier I've created around us, we'll know long before it reaches us, even with a full relampago."_

_"I believe in your strength, young Anthony," said Archangel to these words, eliciting a look of excitement at being acknowledged from the young Holy. "And Helena, be prepared to use your zanpakuto should I command it. Do not hesitate in the slightest."_

_"Yes, Lord Archangel," replied Helena with a nod. Archangel raised his hand and gestured for the group to move forward, and the six did so clandestinely, not a single sound made as they trudged through the sandy beach and onto the more sturdy ground above._

_The air was already cold from the advent of the Sorrow, but here in the far south it was even more noticeable as the group entered the thick pines lining the beach. Dark and humid was the air as they entered, their nerves so piqued that even the scratching of tiny ants could not escape their ears. Further and further they ventured into the pines, the light dimming from the density of the foliage above, but after several minutes the scene changed as they emerged into the village of Gideon of La Duodécima._

_What was normally a bright and lively southern village was now empty and destitute, the appearance thereof alluding to a mass evacuation and destruction, though the former assertion quickly proved tragically false. Before the group of Holies rested a dead village, every window shattered, every door broken, every building crumbled and worn – and every villager dead upon the ground as they had tried to flee._

_"God in Heaven…" gasped Zeezrom at the horrific, grisly scene before them. "Not even the animals were spared…"_

_"Do not let your hearts fail you," commanded Archangel, though he too was having a very difficult time ignoring the destruction and murder. "We are here to find out what happened to the Giant so that we might find some way to stop him." Again Archangel gave the motion, and slowly the group of Holies followed their leader into the village proper. At that closer vantage, the sight was almost too much for Helena, as she clenched her eyes shut upon the view of dead, torn bodies._

_"Lord Archangel…" whispered Helena in this horrified state. "Was this really the Giant's doing? Could such a good person do such a terrible thing?"_

_"A Sorrow is a being bereft of feeling," answered Archangel as he scanned the surroundings. "A monstrous transformation that tears the tenderness inherent in the heart to pieces. If the Giant became a Sorrow as is suspected, then he would readily murder his own family and children."_

_"But how could the Giant have fallen?" asked another Holy named Teng, this being a strong, black young man with curly hair and a firm, handsome chin. "He was considered by all to be the Fourth Legend. I've even studied under his tutelage; this couldn't possibly have happened to someone so spiritually attuned…"_

_"Whatever darkness lies in the hearts of men, it is difficult to ascertain at times young Teng," replied Archangel. "Secrets, lies, deceit…the further we seek to suppress the truth, the firmer the grasp the darkness has over our soul. Something had to have happened in the Giant's life…but I agree with you – this seems completely impossible."_

_"Commodore…" interrupted Anthony softly and suddenly, bringing the conversation amid the destruction to a stifling halt. "I've found someone alive." All eyes shot towards Anthony as he looked onward into the ruined village towards a building once known as the central gathering hall for this region of the district._

_"Is it the Sorrow?" asked Helena softly, her voice trembling as she spoke._

_"No," replied Anthony, squinting his eyes as the Frontier of Fortune priesthood filled his mind with information. "I do believe it is the mayor of Gideon, and from what I can tell he is in fairly good health." Without even a moment of hesitation Archangel sprinted across the blood-soaked streets towards the fallen, ruined gathering hall where he began throwing debris frantically off to the sides._

_"Everyone, please help me!" commanded the Head Commodore, and as directed his subordinates obeyed. Together the group of powerful Holies cleared debris out, moving further and further into the crumbled architecture, until finally a protected, dark chamber was unearthed._

_"I've found something!" exclaimed Teng, to which the others joined him to remove the last bits of broken stone and cement. With the final slab removed light poured into the darkened chamber, seemingly preserved by chance and luck, and within a hunched over man sat with his arms covering his grey, long-haired head._

_"Mayor Petre Romanof…" observed Archangel, looking into the hole and reaching his hand out to the mayor, this slowly lowering his arms to look upon the Head Commodore. "You're safe now." Petre did not immediately speak, instead he stared at Archangel as if he were some sort of dream or specter, his irritated, tired grey eyes stained with sorrow while his face glistened from the deposited salt from rivers of overflowing tears._

_"I shouldn't be alive…" muttered the mayor as his aged eyes once again filled with tears from his dehydrated body, and with that he fell into Archangel's arms and wept bitterly, soaking Archangel's clean white uniform._

_"Mayor Romanof, I know what you've gone through has been difficult," began Archangel as he patted the weeping mayor's back. "But right now Jizengensei needs you to be as strong as you can be."_

_"Forgive me, Lord Archangel," said Petre with a strong Russian-like accent while sniffing and wiping his eyes with a torn, filthy sleeve. "I shame myself in your presence."_

_"Nonsense," replied Archangel quickly. "You have gone through a terrible, unfathomable experience, one that the souls of Jizengensei have not seen in many millennia. That said, I implore you: what happened here? Please, spare no detail; I promise that my commission will protect you from here on."_

_Petre was silent for a few more moments as his trembling eyes looked into Archangel's; the request from the Head Commodore seemed too painful to even contemplate for the beleaguered mayor, but with a gulp and sigh he closed his eyes and began to speak his account to the First Holy Commission._

_"Commodore Giant seemed upset for a while now," began Petre Romanof. "I can't say when it began, but all this month he hasn't seemed himself. I imagined that he was simply having a difficult time with his son, you know, the Holy for the Twelfth Commission; I had seen them arguing several weeks ago, and it had become heated."_

_"I too noticed a change in his demeanor as of late, but I thought it was just stress," added Archangel, rubbing his chin in contemplation while Petre nervously looked around at his murdered village. "He was considering undergoing pasaje several months back with his wife, but for some reason he remained while she moved onward. I didn't think anything of it, since from that point on I had barely any contact with him."_

_"The Giant barely left the village in the last month," continued Petre. "In fact, he barely left his house. I should have suspected that something was wrong, but…" Petre became silent for a few moments, his face falling and his eyes closing in shame._

_"But what?" pressed Zeezrom, to which Petre looked up at the Holy with pain and fear in his low eyes._

_"But I never tried to stop him when he** did** leave the village three days ago."_

_"Where did he go?" asked the Holy Helena. "Was he a Sorrow then?"_

_"No," replied Petre quickly. "In fact, when he emerged from his home he had a smile on his face, though his eyes were darkened with sadness. I encountered him near the edge of the shoreline woods and asked him where he was off to, but his reply startled me, so much so that I did not say another word and he left without further conversation or encounter. He, the Giant of Jizengensei, went to the Witherstone Wasteland." With a single voice the Holies gasped in horror – except for Archangel, who closed his eyes for a moment and gave a deep sigh._

_"I should have known…" muttered Archangel in a defeated tone. "Not too long ago he came to my home and asked me about several aspects of the Witherstone Wasteland. I did not understand that he actually would go there…but even if he did, how would tarrying there turn him into a Sorrow?"_

_"If anyone would know, it would be you," answered Petre. "All I know is that when he returned yesterday he seemed to be a different man, vacant and empty, his soul bereft of any warmth or life. At first I thought maybe he had come into contact with the Witherstone and lost his powers, but this morning everything went to Hell."_

_"He transformed…" whispered Archangel, his soul paining greatly for the state of the Giant, his best friend. "Into a Sorrow." While Petre had done well so far in keeping his composure, the apparent thought of the Giant's assault on the town began to affect him, and as a result tears began streaming down the Mayor's trembling face. Sadness filled his visage, and his voice became warbled through emotion as he suddenly broke down and fell to his knees while weeping._

_"Those eyes!" cried out Petre while he wept, the tears cascading off his jaw line. "I saw those horrible eyes, and the village seemed to crumble beneath its weight! The villagers began to fall to the ground, one by one, as if they were being turned into dolls! I've never seen anything so awful; how could this be real? Commodore Archangel, how could this be happening?" With these words Petre buried his face into his hands, but Archangel was quick to comfort the Mayor of Gideon._

_"I'm so sorry you've suffered so much," said Archangel softly into Petre's ears. "Even though the Giant looks the same, his heart is gone, and I will destroy him to bring peace back to our world." Archangel expected Petre to be somewhat reassured by these words, but to his surprise the Mayor continued weeping, and his following words sent a shock through Archangel's spirit._

_"But he doesn't look the same as before at all!" whimpered Petre, lifting his head and looking into Archangel's eyes. "Everything about him has changed; he looks like a demon from Hell! And with those burning violet eyes…"_

_Archangel's blood froze as these words entered his ears; in all his training, and in the legends of Sorrows in the past, never once had he heard of a Sorrow changing their appearance. Even more troubling than this was the remembrance of the Giant's zanpakuto: a tall, powerful horned humanoid known throughout the commissions as El Demonio Duodécimal. The thought of the two somehow merging was unusual and impossible to even consider as Archangel sat there stunned form Petre's words; it was common knowledge that should a being with a zanpakuto become a Sorrow, the zanpakuto would be immediately destroyed out of the body._

_"His appearance changed?" said Archangel, his tone shocked and unbelieving. "But how…?"_

_"Commodore Archangel," interrupted the Holy Zeezrom, shaking Archangel from his stupor._

_"Y-yes, Zeezrom?" stuttered Archangel, shaking his head back into reality._

_"I think we should depart for the Grotto immediately," continued Zeezrom, these words affirmed as the other Holies nodded in agreement. "We found a survivor with valuable intelligence concerning the Giant; tarrying here is unwise, I think."_

_"You are probably correct," said Archangel, scratching the back of his head while he spoke and thought at the same time. "Anthony, are there any other survivors?"_

_"I will extend the Frontier," replied the young Holy Anthony, whereupon he closed his eyes while his face screwed itself up in concentration. Several moments this continued, though when his face relaxed it remained sullen and dejected._

_"Nothing. There is no life within ten miles of here."_

_"He destroyed that many souls?" gasped Helena. "But…but how? Only the village seems destroyed; the forests outlying don't seem harmed at all!"_

_"This region is sparsely populated," quipped Romanof. "There are a few towns within a few miles of here, but only a few hundred souls at most outside this village."_

_"Helena brings up a good point, though," observed Zeezrom. "This village has been practically demolished, yet the forests beyond appear largely unaffected. If this Sorrow is as destructive as we've seen with the fall of Communion One – a much larger facility than just a few miles, mind you – why would we not see that here as well?"_

_"Let us hope we find out the answer," declared Archangel. "But for now, I think you are right, Zeezrom – we should head back immediately. Mayor…can you use relampago?"_

_"Indeed I can," replied the Mayor, showing for the first time a shred of a smile, though this was short lived as his face returned to sadness. "Though I'm not as fast as you, Lord Archangel."_

_"Very well," started Archangel, his voice commanding and strong. "Anthony, take a center position among the group next to Mayor Romanof. Extend the Frontier of Fortune out ten miles at least, and focus all your energy upon it. Helena, you and Zeezrom take the head of the party. Both of you will prepare your zanpakuto for immediate release should the Sorrow approach; since you have the fastest attacks I feel this will be beneficial."_

_"What about us?" asked Teng. "Shall we take up the rear?"_

_"Indeed," continued Archangel, pointing to Teng and the Holy next to him, a man looking to be in his thirties with dusty brown hair named Isaachar. "Holies Teng and Issachar will take up the rear, placing no less than thirty feet between yourselves and the Mayor. I suggest to all four of you to space out, giving a good defense to Anthony and Petre in the center. I will trail behind you and keep watch over the group. Any questions?"_

_"No sir!" exclaimed the group emphatically, and Archangel nodded in approval._

_"Then let's be off," started Archangel. "Holy Zeezrom, lead the w…" Archangel's words immediately halted, his eyes opened wide in horror at the sounds and images entering his mind_

_"Commodore?" asked Zeezrom, but instead of receiving an explanation Archangel waved him off._

_"Go!" cried Archangel, his face awash with terror. "Go now!" Ahead his team vanished along with the Mayor, leaving Archangel alone with the images coming into his mind from far across the sea._

_(break)  
_

_"Thank you," said the professional and handsome Commodore Cyrus as Elder Zipporah closed the door behind him, closing Cyrus and his Holies (half of which belonged to Archangel's commission) inside the massive, ornate white house located in La Tercera. "Are you in good health?"_

_"I would be lying if I said all was well," replied Zipporah, a much older woman dressed in black robes looking to be in her seventies, though her long, wildly curly hair retained all of its rich auburn color. Her countenance was one fairly common to be seen among the Elders of Jizengensei – pursed lips, distrusting eyes, and a general air of contempt. These Elders were all from a specific family line, this line extending back throughout all history even to the beginning, but even this royal-like lineage could not assuage the Elder's disdain for the Holies of Jizengensei._

_"I'm sorry to hear that," replied Cyrus in a caring tone, though hearing this Zipporah sighed with frustration. As she walked over to and sat upon a white-colored sofa of exquisite quality, this situated in the large, spacious living room of the mansion._

_"I can get along quite well on my own," replied Zipporah rather quickly and rudely to the Commodore. "I don't need a zanpakuto like you Holies to protect myself. In fact, I would prefer you weren't here." While among the Holies it was considered very poor etiquette to insult others, the Elders had harbored resentment for millennia and did not hesitate to deal out their unkind words. This resentment stemmed from Zipporah's own words just before – the Elders of Jizengensei were not able to form zanpakuto of their own, this being a genetic trait of the family line. Furthermore, a strict tenant of Eldership explicitly required that candidates lack a zanpakuto in the case of intermarrying between families – a fact that many prior Elder's saw as abusive as they watched the talented Holies exercise such great deeds with their privileged zanpakuto abilities._

_"I'm afraid I can't just let you be," continued Cyrus while Officer Jeroboam from Archangel's commission and the other Holies peered out the windows and attempted to sense the surroundings outside with various priesthoods, these muttered under their breaths. "Archangel gave me a direct order to protect you."_

_"Archangel? HA!" laughed Zipporah coldly, crossing her legs as she stared up at Cyrus with distaste. "The only worthwhile thing Archangel has done was marrying my niece Red Nova, though even she was a blight upon our noble family…"_

_"I wish you wouldn't say such terrible things," cautioned Cyrus, though his voice was more of a pleading. "Archangel and Red Nova are living Legends…"_

_"And what makes them so 'legendary', huh?" mocked Zipporah. "It isn't like Jizengensei has enemies…"_

_"Have you not been paying attention?" gasped Jeroboam from across the room. "There is a Sorrow in Jizengensei! It destroyed Communion one and dozens of Holies in the process! It even killed your counterpart, Elder Emrah!"_

_"You Holies think you are so wise," grumbled Zipporah, not bothering to even look back at Jeroboam. "Emrah was the weakest of the entire family line; he probably died just looking at the thing."_

_"It doesn't bother you that supposedly immortal spirits are being killed?" pressed Jeroboam further. "This is Jizengensei – death isn't supposed to exist in this realm."_

_"Again, you think you are wise, but you are all fools with too much power," retorted Zipporah coldly. "Death does not exist in this realm, and the Sorrow isn't actually 'killing' anyone. It was this way with the first as well; instead of killing the soul and forcing it to pass on, the Sorrow is…" Zipporah did not finish her thoughts as the ground beneath them began to rumble as though a weak earthquake were occurring._

_"Jeroboam?" asked Cyrus, looking to Archangel's subordinate in hopes he had an answer, but the Officer shook his head in the negative._

_"I'm not sensing any spiritual disturbances…" started Jeroboam, but a shriek from upstairs interrupted them all._

_"HE'S HERE! THE SORROW IS H…"_

_With a terrifying blare of noise and force the mansion exploded around the Holies, pieces of stone and wood flying in all directions and piercing their immortal bodies like erratically flying knives. As the dust and debris settled, Cyrus opened his eyes and looked down at his body. Numerous shards of sharp pieces of broken wood had implanted into his body, and each was quite painful to remove, but before he could start removing the third shard a shadow moved in the corner of his eye, and turned to see a massive dark figure racing towards the fallen house._

_"Jeroboam!" cried out Cyrus, his heart beginning to pound like a jackhammer within his chest. "Jeroboam it's here!" Without warning the dark figure sped at Cyrus, its speed too intense for him to register any details aside from size as the figure stood well over seven feet. Unfortunately for Cyrus the speed of the figure was too quick, and he, being flat-footed among the awkwardly laying debris, had no immediate defense. Then, as if a light had been turned on, something white appeared between him and the dark, shadowy figure. The darkened figure, recognized to be the Sorrow only by its effect and energy, smashed into this white object – which Cyrus then saw was Officer Jeroboam, covered in terrible, huge splinters._

_"Commodore!" shouted Jeroboam as the Sorrow slammed its arms down upon Jeroboam, the latter blocking this strike with his own raised, crossed forearms while the force of the attack cratered the ground beneath them. "Protect Zipporah! We will defeat this monster!" From around the wreckage appeared ten additional Holies, five being of Cyrus' commission and five from Archangel's, and together the makeshift commission launched into their attack._

_Cyrus, meanwhile, heeded the famous Officer's request, and with a turn he ran towards Zipporah's side, she looking quite unhindered, undamaged, and completely calm unlike each of the Holies. As he approached she quickly glared at him disapprovingly – but only for a second, for after this a sound arose from behind Cyrus in the direction of the ensuing battle between the Holies and the Sorrow._

_"C…Commo…dore…"_

_Cyrus turned his head back around, the motion thereof feeling like centuries for the Commodore as he saw Officer Jeroboam hovering several feet off the ground. His white Holy's uniform was torn and covered in crimson blood, the arm of the shadowed, darkness-enveloped Sorrow sticking though his heart up to the monster's elbow. All around the other Holies were already dead, their bodies torn asunder and blood – never seen in Jizengensei even during the worst conflicts – covering every square inch around them._

_It was at this point that Cyrus saw something even more terrifying than blood in the Premortal Realm; vapors rose from each of the bodies like steam from the ground after a summer rain, and each stream of colored vapor sped rapidly towards the Sorrow's hidden face, this face being hidden behind the shadowed darkness covering its entire, massive body. A horrible sucking noise sounded, and each of these vapors vanished into the figure – and immediately Jeroboam's body fell limp. With a swing of his arm the dead Officer was thrown hard into the ground, and the Sorrow launched towards Cyrus, its next target._

_With speed beyond imagination the Sorrow collided with Cyrus, the latter having to raise his arms to resist the impact of the Sorrow's terrifying strength. For naught it seemed, however, as Cyrus found himself flying backwards through the air until he crashed hard and rolled to a stop along the ground. No time could be spared, however, for the Sorrow roared out with a terrifying sound, one that rattled Cyrus' bones and caused his entire body to shake. Indeed, even with Zipporah so nearby, the Sorrow seemed to be intensely focused on Cyrus, and as the Commodore got up to his feet he finally saw the Sorrow for what it was._

_"God Almighty…"_

_The mists of darkness swirled around the Sorrow like fog caught in a tempest, and within a second they had vanished, revealing the massive, eight foot-tall Sorrow. His appearance was nothing like that of the other Holies, nor of any creature born within Jizengensei. In place of a Holy's uniform, the Sorrow was covered form head to foot in a terrifying grey armor, this fitting his entire body tightly and accentuating each of his muscles. Upon his fingers extended claws of several inches, these appearing sharper than a katana, while upon his head rose two terrifying horns, each a foot in length at least. Similar spikes jutted out from his shoulders, while the armor made a weave across his chest meeting in the center above his clavicle, but what impressed most of his appearance was his face. The maw of the Sorrow was long and wide as it roared into the heavens, long, steel-like teeth lining the interior like some demon from Hell, but beyond this were the large, glowing eyes. Violet streams of energy raced out of these eyes, burning the air around them and igniting the fear inside Cyrus' heart._

_With another ridiculous rush of speed the Sorrow vaulted towards Cyrus, but this time the Commodore was ready. Instead of meeting the body of the Commodore, this time the Sorrow was stopped dead in its tracks as it collided face first into a tall, brilliantly shining figure, each piece of its full, ancient armor a different hue of metal. This collision was not without consequence; the force thereof was exceedingly great, shattering windows and crumbling buildings all around them._

_"GAH!" shouted the Sorrow in a deep, devilish growl as he fell backwards – though keeping his feet as he did so. Across his chest appeared a large crack running between his sides at the navel, and as Cyrus noticed this he felt a surge of confidence come over him._

_"Did you know, Giant, that my last name really isn't Nebuchadnezzar?" called out Cyrus, the armored warrior between them standing tall and proud as the Commodore spoke. "I chose it as a moniker because of how much the story of Daniel from the Mortal World affected my development. This same Daniel interpreted a dream of the King Nebuchadnezzar, and this dream revealed a great statue of many metals in its armor. This figure before you is my zanpakuto, also named Daniel and patterned after his interpretation, and there is no firmer zanpakuto in all of creation; even the mighty force of evil cannot brush him aside!"_

_These words seemed to motivate the zanpakuto Daniel to action, and with a quick lunge forward a large silver fist collided with the Sorrow's face, sending the monster flying through the air until it crashed into a large, white stone building. A cascade of broken stone came crashing down, covering the Sorrow in its entirety, though Daniel's own hand fell in metal shards upon the ground._

_"Forgive me, master," said Daniel in a very deep, strong yet apologetic tone. "Both my hand and breastplate have shattered from the hardness of his armor."_

_"It is all right, dear Daniel," assured Cyrus. "You have done well; return to my spirit, and I will complete our mission."_

_"Thank you, master," replied Daniel, whose large, metallic body then vanished into a orange ball of light, this zipping towards and vanishing into Cyrus' chest. No sooner had it done so, however, that the pile of rubble beyond began to ruble and shake, and with a burst of flying stone the Sorrow emerged, the armor covering his body cracked in many places now including his face. Rigorous hatred burned from his glowing eyes, and with a deep, malevolent growl he spoke._

_"Cyrus, you were holding out on me all these years. Yours is a splendid zanpakuto…"_

_"Wicked soul…" growled Cyrus, his authoritative tone growing deeper and more intense with each syllable. "You've done enough damage in this world, and I will not permit you to live any longer! Behold the power of the Holies of the Thirteen Holy Commissions!" Ahead the Sorrow ceased its roar while focusing its violet eyes upon the Commodore, who now raised his hand out towards the monster before taking a deep breath and shouting out with his full voice._

_"Priesthood of the Tenth Heaven, The Everlasting Life of Kolob! Number Ninety-Eight: Holy Lance!"_

_Cyrus' right hand began to glow, this glowing energy building and building as the milliseconds blew past, and with a bright flash a long, slender beam of pure white light appeared, its appearance being that of a six foot lance. Ahead the Sorrow's eyes scowled for a moment as he looked upon the glorious manifestation of the Tenth Path of the Priesthood. Beyond, Zipporah stood rather carelessly, her face turned away from Cyrus and the Sorrow, but even as Cyrus noticed this he could not give it any further attention; the profane existence known as the Sorrow needed to be completely and utterly destroyed – right then and there._

_"I will not fail you, Lord Archangel…" muttered Cyrus to himself, and with a mighty lunge he launched the Holy Lance at the Sorrow. As he expected, there was no way the Sorrow could avoid the stifling, sub-light speed of the Lance, this speed intensified by its own tremendous concentrated power (consisting of nearly everything Cyrus had within his soul). Bright light pierced the air as the Lance collided with the Sorrow at the middle of the first crack along its belly, burning the air for hundreds of yards around as the spiritual energy bored into it like a drill. The stench of burning flesh filled the air as the light vanished, revealing a massive, gaping hole through the Sorrow's stomach, the edge of this hole narrowly missing its heart. Upon seeing this effect Cyrus fell to his knees, the massive amount of energy drained from his body for that one attack driving him to the point of collapse, and with heavy, labored breathing he relaxed, confident in his victory. There was no way any soul could take that much damage and still be able to move after months, and Cyrus took advantage of this thought to recuperate his own energy before taking any further action._

_"If you are going to try to kill me, you should at least follow through and finish the job."_

_Cyrus' eyes widened as this deep-toned phrase graced his ears, and before he could even lift his head to see who was speaking the crushing blow came. Every bone in his immortal body cracked and shattered as a horrifyingly heavy fist slammed against his back, blasting his weakened body several feet into the ground while breaking the bones in his neck. Around his body a crater formed from the force of the impact, and as the dust settled Cyrus' broken, twisted neck allowed his head to see out of the crater. There, standing above him was the grey, demonic, horned Sorrow, the wound in his stomach already healing over while his burning eyes glared down menacingly._

_"G…Giant…how could y…you…?" stammered Cyrus, the critical, insane damage to his immortal body impeding his ability to speak – though even the terrible state of his body could in no wise cause a forced dispersal or pasaje of his soul. "How could you b…become th…this monster?"_

_The Sorrow did not respond and instead the sucking noise returned, and like a dissipating specter in the night the vision and sounds from Cyrus Nebuchadnezzar vanished forever from Archangel's mind._

**Next: CHAPTER 11 – THE ARCHANGEL'S SORROW**

**BONUS!** _These bumpers are actually important to the story, so…I dunno, pay attention or something._

"Huh…" grunted Kenpachi Zaraki as he stood in full Captain's garb outside of Ichigo Kurosaki's modest house. Inside Lieutenant Yachiru was playing hide-and-seek with the children Akahana and Kenji Kurosaki, but outside Kenpachi was having far less an entertaining time. With a, extended yawn the Captain of Squad Eleven tapped his long, chipped katana against his shoulder, his one free, unpatched eye scouring the surroundings.

"Did that little kid lie to me?" asked Kenpachi to himself in a low, grumbling voice. "He said there was someone out here, and Yachiru said there wasn't. But Yachiru's wrong about freaking everything, so I was convinced there WAS someone out here…"

Inside the house a ruckus started, among the noise and tumult the words "Yachiru you're cheating!" being tossed around like beads in a Mardi Gras parade. In light of this din, Kenpachi sighed and sat down upon the cement step leading up to the door of the house.

"Maybe the kid is scared of me," wondered Kenpachi aloud. "They seem to get along so much better with Yachiru…is it because she's their same size? Am I too big to get along with kids? Is that why he found a way to get me to leave?"

"Aw, are yoo habbing a hard time wif da childrens?"

Kenpachi's eyes shifted to the right where they fell upon a young man, dressed in uppity Banana Republic jeans and a loose, flowery pink, red, and blue shirt. His face was also uppity and snobbish, the man's long, pointed nose held high as though disapproving of Kenpachi's odor, while his bright blue eyes scoffed at him below the man's neatly combed and parted brown hair.

"What the Hell are you?" grumbled Kenpachi in a slightly bored yet intrigued tone, scowling at the insulting newcomer. "And how can you see me?"

"Seems like the Archangel got himself some muscle to watch over the kiddies," replied the newcomer. "Looks like you ain't too bright, though."

"You a Shinigami, a Vizard, or a Hollow?" asked Kenpachi, still seated upon the step with his katana draped across his shoulders. "Either way you're still probably gonna die…"

"Wrong, wrong, and wrong," shot back the mocking man with a derisive smile. "I ain't none of those three wuss-classes, and I ain't gonna die, least wise not by your hands. My name is Rupert, but you can call me The Infatigable."

"All right then, Rupert, if you aren't the usual type, then you'll be something new to try," said Kenpachi with a smile as he stood up, towering at least a foot and a half above the newcomer. "I must warn you, though: I don't hold back against new toys, and if you don't have a sword, then you're shit out of luck as far as I'm concerned."

"A sword?" laughed the young, rude man. "Where I come from, we don't need swords." To these words Kenpachi smiled big, and with a laugh of his own he returned the conversation.

"Great! Let's do this! HYAH!"

The ground exploded with energy and force as Kenpachi slammed his zanpakuto down upon the newcomer, but immediately thereafter the Captain could feel something was wrong.

"You call that 'not holding back'?" asked the man's voice from within the dust, and as it settled Kenpachi could see his sword blocked by the man's forearms, these hiding his eyes from view. "Seems like Gemelos was wrong about you Shinigami; we lesser Phasma Peior ain't got nothing to worry about if this is all you got." The man then lowered his face, exposing his burning, violet eyes for Kenpachi to see.

"You ain't got nothing on me, Shinigami."

For a moment Kenpachi frowned, his mind mulling over the words just recently uttered, but after this moment he took a deep breath, chuckled, and smiled big again.

"I get it now – the little kid was just trying to help me out with how bored I was. I'll have to thank him later."

***Note for Fanfiction(dot)net users: Sometime in the past year this site started using a different internal word processor. The result is me having to practically reformat the entire document once loaded. With this in mind, please let me know if you find any egregious formatting errors such as illogical paragraph breaks. It is for this reason also that I have to place (break) in place of my normal section separator (-). Thank you for your understanding.**


	12. Chapter 11: The Archangel's Sorrow

**CHAPTER 11: THE ARCHANGEL'S SORROW**

_Wave after tumultuous wave of energy coursed over the horizon and across the water, colliding with the Archangel every second as he ran with relampago across the vast ocean's surface. The waves were coming from the direction of La Tercera, the district east of the centrally-located Primera, and each of these waves was enough to push the water itself away, leaving Archangel drenched from the momentum-driven spray. Ahead, rising high into space were thousands of bright, crimson and violet bolts of electricity, each shining with the brightness of the sun despite their being nearly a six hundred miles away. While each lasted only milliseconds, their numbers indicated a battle of incredible devastation, something far beyond the capability of the now fallen Officer Jeroboam or Commodore Nebuchadnezzar's zanpakuto or proficiency with priesthood._

_"Such destructive power…" gasped Archangel as a particularly intense wave collided with him, slowing his relampago nearly to a halt upon the surface of the waters. "Who in Jizengensei has such immense priesthood strength?" Another strong wave blasted into the Head Commodore, and with that he knew he could delay no further; despite the force being sent out from the distant battle, he needed to intervene. He needed to destroy the Giant, the Sorrow – and he needed to do it now, before any more life could be lost._

_With a great release of his own spiritual strength the Archangel pressed his feet upon the water, hardening the liquid with reiatsu and leaping against it into the air. This added considerably to his speed, pushing it well beyond the realm of relampago; in fact, this specific form of movement was something only known to and used by the Archangel himself and his wife Red Nova, though he had not come around to giving it a name. Regardless of its title, however, the movement sped Archangel through the air like a meteor, and within seconds he had traversed the ocean, now sailing high in the clouds above the land. As with most manifestations of the spirit, Archangel did have some measure of control over this movement, and as he came upon the Southern Rim Mountains he lowered his speed and came to rest upon the high peak of Fujitakai. This peak sat well above fifteen thousand meters above the ground, it being the tallest of the east-west range that lined the northern shores of the southern ocean, and atop it Archangel could finally see the distant location of the battle._

_While still a little more than a hundred miles away, the incredible height of Fujitakai gave Archangel a glimpse of Tarui, the village of La Tercera wherein lived Elder Zipporah. From this distance the large village appeared no more than a few specks on the horizon, and the energy and fiendish bolts rising spaceward dwarfed it like an elephant standing above a few ants. With each release of energy came a shockwave of force, the power reaching up into the stratosphere and clearing away the clouds; even Archangel had to carefully maintain his footing to prevent being tossed off the jagged, rocky peak._

_"Could this be the work of Zipporah?" wondered Archangel with awe as the energy continued to pour out from the beleaguered village on the horizon. "Is she fighting against the Giant?" Archangel took a breath and prepared to again launch himself forward to battle, but before he could do so an immense explosion rocked the village in the distance, blinding him with the flash of burning light. Seconds later the force of the explosion caught up, and the peak of Fujitakai began to crumble as the earth shook violently below. Something terrible had happened in Tarui, and Archangel, now climbing up the crumbled mountaintop to a better vantage, knew what it was._

_"If that was Zipporah, she just used the ninety-eighth priesthood," continued Archangel to himself, observing a climbing mushroom cloud in the distance. "So reckless; her whole village will be wiped out with that…technique…" Archangel's words slowed to a halt as through the smoke and airborne debris a violet streak of light shot out, literally appearing as a falling star trailing through the heavens. Darkness and fear permeated the light atmosphere around the Archangel as this object sailed in the great distance beyond, and the Archangel knew it then: whoever had been battling the Sorrow ahead had lost. Without a single moment of hesitation Archangel leaped off the mountain peak after the Sorrow, the rocky spire behind him crumbling even further with the force of his take-off._

_Pursue as quickly as he might, however, the Sorrow's flight was too much for Archangel – even using his greatest movement technique – to catch up. The violet streak through the air distanced itself further and further from Archangel as he sailed through the clouds, the condensed vapor nucleating on his skin as ice, only to be then blown off by the harsh, shearing winds blowing against his body._

_"Damn it…" whispered Archangel to himself as he lowered his spiritual output, thus dropping his speed and altitude. Within a few seconds the grassy plain of La Septima, north of Primera, was reached, Archangel landing upon it lightly as a feather, his body heaving for breath; such a movement technique combined with the intense waves of force drained his body excessively of energy, and it would take several minutes to recuperate. Ahead the streak vanished behind the distant horizon, from whence arose a great red light into the atmosphere, silent from the distance. This light persisted for quite some time as Archangel stood hunched over, waiting for his body to recover. Such a time was dangerous, however; the time difference between the arrival of the Sorrow to Zipporah's home earlier till now had only been three minutes at most. Any time spent resting would only mean the death of countless more souls. It was thus, as Archangel fought internally whether to run forward or rest his weary body that he found himself surrounded by a bright orange haze accompanied by a gentle ringing sound._

_"This is…?" wondered Archangel aloud, his fatigue preventing him from realizing immediately what was happening._

_"Just rest, husband," said the smooth, kind voice of Red Nova, now stepping out from behind Archangel. "I will restore your strength as best I can, and together we will destroy the Sorrow."_

_"But Red…" stammered Archangel, shocked to see his wife away from her commission. "You shouldn't be here, I can handle the Sorrow on my own!"_

_"You're lying to yourself, husband," retorted Red Nova. "I was given a report just moments before meeting you here that Cyrus and Jeroboam were both killed in a matter of seconds. Both of us need to fight together to stop the Giant, and you know this." Archangel closed his eyes and lowered his head; he knew Red's words were true, and he knew he needed her help if he was to stop such a powerful, terrible villain, but at the same time he also knew that the likelihood of he and his wife being killed was near certainty. How could he, as a good husband, allow his wife to walk towards suicide like this?_

_"Red, I can't…" started Archangel, but before he could finish the orange haze evaporated and Red Nova cut him off._

_"I knew that by leaving my commission to join you I would most certainly die," declared Red Nova proudly as her long, lovely red hair floated in the wind as she gazed at the great, white light emanating from the northern horizon. "Seeing the awesome energy of the Sorrow makes me fear, but I know this fear is wrong. I should not be afraid to die, for defeating evil is my solemn duty as a daughter of God walking the Eternal Path."_

_"Red…"_

_"I will not leave your side, dear husband," concluded Red Nova resolutely with a warm smile that lifted Archangel's spirit. "Now, we haven't a moment to lose; I'm sure what we are seeing ahead is Elder Ulnius confronting the Sorrow, which should buy us plenty of time to reach him and give him aid. Your body should be recovered enough now with my help that…"_

_Behind Red Nova, the blazing red light on the horizon suddenly intensified, becoming brighter than the sun and hundreds times larger in the sky. This intense, immense blast burned briefly against the exposed skin of the two commodores, leaving Archangel – who got full view of the event – temporarily blinded. Beneath them on the grassy plain of La Septima the ground began to shake, growing more violent with each passing second, until after only a very short moment the entire world around them shook with such violent temblor that neither commodore could stand. Beyond, the great blaze in the sky dissipated, leaving only a massive, impossibly expansive wall of charred, broken earth scaling upwards through the heavens._

_"Red...?" gasped Archangel, his vision returning in time to see the climbing wall of earth. "Red, what is this?"_

_"It's like an asteroid colliding with Jizengensei…" replied Red Nova, the shaking now beginning to subside, though on the horizon in all directions smoke and ash rose from the widespread destruction. Ahead the wall of earth stopped its ascent, after which it began falling back towards Jizengensei, each city-sized boulder crashing into the ground bringing with it more destruction and agony. Coupled with this heart-wrenching destruction was a sound, a sucking noise that seemed to drain all the life, happiness, and energy from the whole world around them._

_"This is the work of the Giant," observed Archangel to his wife, both of whom felt the draining effect but were unaffected. "He weakens his foes, then consumes their spirits. I saw him do it to my commission."_

_"But why would he want to consume our souls?" pressed Red Nova, her face awash with stress as the world around them seemed to be at its end. "What good would it do anyone?"_

_"I don't know…" replied Archangel. "But the First Sorrow did the same. With this intense a destruction and weakening of Jizengensei, it is possible he could consume half our people."_

_"That is so terrible…" gasped Red Nova, aghast at the thought of death and torment of her beloved brothers and sisters of Jizengensei. "Archangel, we must do something!"_

_"I know," replied the Head Commodore. "Let's go…"_

_"You're not going anywhere."_

_Archangel and Red Nova both became silent as this new voice interrupted them, deep and growling like an intelligent, murderous beast. It was a dark voice, bereft of joy and contentment, filled with hate and loathing, and the two commodores turned to the right to see a being several hundred yards off, its presence overwhelmingly dense and vile; even looking upon the being at that distance was enough to crumble the hearts of weaker men._

_"Giant…" growled Archangel as he looked upon the Sorrow. "How could you have done this?" Ahead, the Sorrow's appearance had changed drastically since Archangel had witnessed it through Shared Vision with Commodore Nebuchadnezzar; instead of a full, light grey demonic body of form-fitting armor, it was now clear that the Sorrow was missing nearly half of its chest and left side, leaving two legs and one arm for the monster. The severe wound also was not healing (as it had been rumored in Sorrow studies that Sorrows could rapidly heal from even life-ending damages), and in this state the Sorrow leaned to the left for balance, his violet eyes scowling upon the commodores, each breath emitting a glowing vapor of the same hue._

_**Interesting…** thought Archangel as he observed the hideously damaged state of the Sorrow. **The wound is not healing; there isn't anything the Elders could have done to stop the healing process, unless Giant is already pushed to his spiritual limits. He is weakened to the point where he cannot heal himself without defeating himself with unconsciousness. One powerful strike should be enough…**_

_"Heh," laughed the Sorrow, its voice warped and distorted through the armor. "Once I kill you two, nothing will stand in my way."_

_"Giant, please!" pleaded Red Nova, her body beginning to tremble under the enormous weight of the Sorrow's energy. "You are better than this! You were always such an amazing soul; you're considered to be the Fourth Legend!"_

_"Consuming you will fill my mind with unimaginable knowledge," continued the Sorrow, ignoring Red Nova's words. "I can't wait!" Ahead the Sorrow shifted his position to one of preparation for an attack, and Archangel and Red Nova knew it was time. Giant, the Sorrow of Jizengensei, would have to be defeated right then. So too must have thought the Sorrow towards his foes, for as soon as he had taken this stance he launched himself towards them, the violet, violent energy released form his body tearing apart the ground below like it was made of paper._

_"Red, now!" shouted Archangel to his wife who already had her hands raised towards the approaching monster._

_"Divine Blossom, separate us from the world!" cried out Red Nova, her hair beginning to radiate and shine as she spoke. "Prepare the greatest defense of all: Godless Domain!"_

_"GYAH!" cried out the Sorrow in pain as he collided hard with a blurred, orange plane, this plane a single wall of a cube now surrounding his body. The force of the impact strained the barrier forward several feet, but in the end the Sorrow could not break it – he was trapped._

_"It is over, Giant!" shouted Red Nova, her hair glimmering and shimmering with power. "You are trapped inside the Godless Domain, a spilt-off universe of my own control. Of all the defensive techniques known of Jizengensei, nothing save the Lightbringer's Armor of God is stronger. You cannot escape!"_

_"And your terror upon this world will now end," added Archangel. "Piercer of Heaven, come forth."_

_"I am here, Archangel," said a deep male voice, and beside Archangel materialized a man dressed in a fine, neat, and long black coat, his handsome, pointed face topped with a regal mane of black hair tied into a neat ponytail._

_"The Sorrow is weakened to the point of defeat," declared Archangel, to which the Sorrow growled and furrowed. "His body cannot heal itself due to the intensity of his battles with the Elders. Use your full power; we have to make sure he is completely and utterly defeated and disabled."_

_"With pleasure," agreed Piercer of Heaven, Archangel's legendary zanpakuto, and with that he raised his right hand high into the air above him. Ahead, the Sorrow's violet, demonic eyes lurched open in fear as Piercer of Heaven drew a breath and gently spoke while dropping his hand._

_"Getsuga tensho."_

_The land split apart at the utterance of these words, the blinding spray of white light mingled with crimson blackness enveloping the entrapped sorrow completely in its wake. From out of Piercer of Heaven's hand proceeded this onslaught of power for several moments, crashing over the Godless Domain like a deluge from a broken dam. After this moment the energy dissipated and vanished, leaving the Sorrow upon his knees, his body torn and his armor cracked. All around were remnants of the shattered cell formerly holding him captive, and in addition to his already missing left side, now his right arm and half his skull on the right side were gone. Nevertheless highly damaged to the point beyond which any soul in the further realms could survive, the Sorrow still continued to breathe, its breath wheezing through openings into its air passages and sinuses._

_"R-Ridiculous…" wheezed the Sorrow, his speech filled with wheezes and coughs. "Y-You are nothing…you are weak…I am power…"_

_"You are defeated," interrupted Archangel. "You cannot heal, and I am obligated to ensure the dispersal of your soul."_

_"It is for your own good," added Red Nova, her glimmering hair now returned to its original state. "You've become the enemy of God, and you must be destroyed forever. To let you live would be…"_

_"And who says…I'm going to…give up…to your God?" grumbled the Sorrow with labored, heavy speech, his remaining, glowing eye squinting from pain from beneath his armor. "I don't care if I die…but I will never stop fighting him. He is anathema to me…"_

_"Come, Red," spoke Archangel depressedly, knowing that soon his best friend would be destroyed under the dispersal wrought from the Witherstone Wasteland. "We must cast him out of the city." Beside him Red Nova nodded in agreement, but both were loudly interrupted by the Sorrow._

_"I've gained so much knowledge!" cried out the Giant, his eye now wide open as he struggled to stand. "With each soul I gain new life, new insight, new knowledge to help me find peace! With each soul I consume, more power is given to me to make things right in the universe!"_

_"Red, be on guard…" whispered Archangel to his wife while the Sorrow monologued._

_"My master sent me on a mission!" continued the Sorrow pastorally, his armless, wrecked body now trembling upon his two armored feet. "I cannot let him down – not with the peace he has promised me! Even if it means the loss of my will and my mind, I will not cease until all the children of God are consumed within me!" The Sorrow then lowered his eyes from the sky and scowled upon Archangel before speaking once more, his voice now again deep and malevolent, hateful and cruel, with every ounce of humanity gone from its tones._

_"Then, and only then, will my master fulfill his promise."_

_It was at these words that something changed within the almost undetectable spiritual aura of the Sorrow, a tremor of energy so slight the Archangel would have missed it had he not been paying attention. And then he was gone, completely vanished in the blink of an eye from before them, disappearing without even a hint, whisper, or disturbance of the torn dust beneath their feet._

_"What the…" started Archangel, but the sound of cracking bones and crushed flesh piqued from beside him._

_"Piercer!" screamed Red Nova, holding her hands to her face as she and Archangel both saw the horrific sight, the latter being only feet away from the horror. Beside the Head Commodore stood the Sorrow, his body restored and his arms reformed, each hand holding a bifurcated piece of Piercer of Heaven's body. Piercer of Heaven could only gasp for breath as he sat wide-eyed, his lower half having been torn off without his even knowing it. With a second, final gasp his spiritual body vanished into millions of speckles of light, all of which returned instantly to Archangel's trembling, over-shocked body._

_"How is this possible?" asked Archangel, his trembling growing as he leapt away from the freehanded Sorrow. "I defeated you! How are you doing this?"_

_While before the Sorrow had given a prompt response, now he only stood and glared, his breathing mimicking the soft growl of a lion ready to pounce. Indeed, this observation seemed astute; whereas before the Sorrow's body and persona maintained a semblance of humanity, now it seemed far different: hunched over, crouched and alert, its eyes glancing rapidly like a predatory animal readying its attack. No longer a fallen soul of a man, now the Sorrow seemed to be nothing more than a beast to Archangel._

_"You monster…" said the Archangel to the Sorrow's animalistic sounds, the commodore's emotions beginning to lose control at the grisly defeat of his cherished zanpakuto. "You monster!"_

_"Husband, look out!"_

_Red Nova's words were quick and well timed, but Archangel in his enraged, distracted state could not stop the Sorrow's blindingly quick strike. With such force as to crush a mountain the Sorrow's fist collided with Archangel's chest, pulverizing his internal organs and crushing his ribcage inward, after which he flew backwards with the speed of a bullet until crashing into a nearby bluff, shattering the earth thereof and sending it skyward. The Sorrow then let out a roar, high-pitched and piercing, the vocal strength blowing away the airborne dust form Archangel's impact; surely enough, the tonal composition of the roar eliminated all doubt from the Archangel's mind as he lay broken upon the cratered hill of the plain: the Giant was gone forever, only a murderous beast left in his place._

_Too great was the damage, and too weakened was Archangel already to rapidly heal himself, and in this state he felt his end was at hand. The Sorrow would undoubtedly consume his soul just as it had done to Officer Jeroboam and Commodore Cyrus Nebuchadnezzar, and he as the Head Commodore of Jizengensei would have failed his God forever. As expected, the Sorrow began to slowly approach its prey upon all fours, a terrible, toothy grin upon its heartless face, but before it could get any closer Red Nova stepped between them._

_"Oh Giant, how far you've fallen!" stated Red Nova loudly and resolutely while the Sorrow scowled and squinted his glowing, violet eyes at her. "I always loved and respected you above all other Holies, and do you know why? Because of your love for your fellow brothers and sisters! Because of your unwavering faith and tremendous charity! Now, you have reduced yourself to a beast of Hell. I know what you did, Giant; you sacrificed the souls you had consumed, as well as your own spirit to rebuild your body, but it has left you an empty, instinctual abomination!"_

_The Sorrow let out another earth-rattling roar and leaped forward, his claws bared like a leaping tiger. His speed was incredible, but so was Red Nova's as the Sorrow crashed empty handed into the grounded, sending a spray of liberated earth hundreds of feet angled into the air ahead of him. Red Nova, on the other hand, had already used relampago to avoid him and her move was already prepared._

_"Divine Blossom, Sacred Plane!"_

_Again Red Nova's hair flashed brightly with crimson light, and from her hands shot out a razor-thin sheet of translucent, orange energy. Her aim was true; the dividing plane connected directly with the flatfooted Sorrow, cleanly slicing off the left vertical third of his body, but to no avail. Without any visible negative effect the sliced off section of the Sorrow's body reformed in an instant, and now was his turn to successfully strike back. Shooting out like a cannon he launched off the ground and sunk his claws into Red Nova's frantically outstretched hands, these forming a small, quick shield of the same orange material – though in her haste this shield was nothing like the cage or Sacred Plane. Instead it was short and asymmetrical, formed as quickly as she could while trying to stop the Sorrow's crippling blow – though the efficacy was only partial as the Sorrows claws had successfully ripped into her hands. To Red Nova's horror blood began pouring out of these wounds, this bleeding caused by the wild, unorganized spiritual pressure of the Sorrow ripping her own spirit apart. As she observed this terrifying fact she forcefully blasted away the shield, this knocking her several yards away from the assaulting Sorrow. Blood dripped from her delicate hands while her chest heaved with heavy breath, her spiritual power being greatly challenged by this monstrous being, and as she breathed her hair flickered in its rich, crimson luster._

_**Red Nova is in trouble…** thought Archangel to himself as he lay in a partially comatose state in the hillside crater. **Her zanpakuto is infused into her hair, and the earth-moving force of the Sorrow's last attack is stressing it to its limit. Red is also terrified; she is a fierce warrior, but against someone she loved so much I don't think she has the will to…**_

_"I can see I have no choice…" declared Red Nova, interrupted Archangel mid-thought. "I will have to do whatever it takes to stop you, Giant." Even in his beleaguered state, these words caused Archangel's heart to skip a beat and his eyes to grow wide with fear._

_"No…" whispered Archangel before forcing his voice into a full on shout. "RED, DON'T!"_

_"Become my blade, Divine Blossom!" cried out Red Nova, her hair burning brightly with fire as her zanpakuto agreed to her request. "Help me deliver Jizengensei from the clutches of darkness!"_

_"Divine Blossom will die!" screamed out Archangel with his remaining strength. "Red, don't do it!"_

_"Divine Blossom agrees with me, husband," replied Red Nova calmly, the conflagration upon her head now beginning to wane as a blade began to form in her hands. "Please respect our agency, and I will do my duty to God." While he wished to protest further, Archangel's body simply could not support another outburst. Meanwhile, Red Nova's long, fiery hair was shortening as her sword grew longer, and once the transformation was complete she was left with short hair no longer than two inches, sticking out and patterned like a boy's cut – though it did nothing to detract from her incredible beauty._

_The sword in her bloodied hands, however, was beyond what Archangel had ever imagined it looking. The general shape and blade was that of a long, brilliantly silver katana with orange wrappings on the handle, but it was the hand guard that caught his rapt attention. Instead of being small and conservative, this hand guard was massive for a katana with six flower petals sticking forward out of the circumference at a sixty-degree angle off the blade. Each of these petals were colored the same as Red Nova's barriers, and each was lined with a steel casing giving the sword the appearance of a lovely steel flower against her spotless white gown._

_"Red, she'll die…" whispered Archangel at the sight of the beautiful katana in his wife's hands, and even though a whisper Red Nova did hear him._

_"Just watch, dear husband," said Red Nova warmly. "I will save Jizengensei from the Giant, and when I am finished, I will heal you."_

_Red Nova then faced the Sorrow, its animalistic transformation proceeding even further as he now stood on all fours growling like a wolf beneath his horned mask and armor. The lovely female commodore smiled gently and took a breath, but before she exhaled she vanished from Archangel's sight – but only for a moment as he saw her now standing several yards behind the Giant._

_"I told you, I would save Jizengensei."_

_Archangel's eyes couldn't believe what they were seeing from his vantage in the crater; Red Nova's movements had been so quick he thought he had imagined them, immediately discounting them subconsciously as unreal. But in fact they had happened, and it was her that enacted the attacks upon the Sorrow who was now entrapped, his monstrous body divided by at least twelve glowing, orange planes. Each of these was stationary and firm, silently cleaving his body into countless parts between their many intersections and various angles._

_As Archangel's eyes caught up with his mind he began to understand; each plane was the result of a slash of Divine Blossom. Red Nova's speed was so intensified from Divine Blossom's blade transformation that it exceeded even Archangel's greatest relampago; all her strikes had slashed through the Sorrow's body and armor before it had even given a fraction of a breath, her zanpakuto so greatly strengthened from the transformation that it cut through the monster like it was made of thin sheets of paper. Graceful and precise were her movements as his mind caught up with him, each turn and each spin reminding him that her extraordinary healing skills were not the only thing that made her "legendary"._

_"Un…unbelievable…" gasped Archangel, astounded by the goddess-like ability of his wife who was now walking towards him. Her body seemed to be growing weaker as she approached; the zanpakuto transformation was a difficult one to bring about, and this usually resulted in the loss of the zanpakuto. Specifically put, the transformation liberated the zanpakuto's spiritual energy and reorganized it into a small, compact form, in this case a sword. This compaction would have incredible effects upon both the blade and the user, but these effects would be short lived as the transformed zanpakuto would lose its ability to hold its spirit together. Without exception, all such transformations in the past had led to the death and dispersal of the zanpakuto spirit, forcing it to leave the world of Jizengensei to wander alone in the Mortal Realms until it found a new user. Truly, no more terrible thing could be done to a little zanpakuto spirit, since the division between master and zanpakuto was greater than all other relationships save husband and wife._

_"I will leave him there," said the now shorthaired Red Nova in reference to the entrapped, silent, and motionless Sorrow. "He will not be able to escape the Godless Planes dividing his body; no amount of spiritual strength could break them." Red Nova's walking had now turned into a limp, and before she could get closer her legs gave out from beneath her and she collapsed upon the ground, her sword landing next to her._

_"RED!" cried out Archangel, pushing his spirit body to the point of bleeding from his wounds as he forced his weakened body to crawl. "RED! NO!" Red Nova slowly put her hands upon the ground beneath her and struggled to push herself back up as Archangel slowly approached._

_"Husband, I'll be fine," declared Red Nova, shakily returning to her feet and halting Archangel's crawl after which she picked up her sword Divine Blossom, the latter being in perfect condition still._

_"How is she still alive?" wondered Archangel, his body beginning to feel lighter now that the Sorrow was entrapped and defeated. "No zanpakuto can survive the transformation, unless…"_

_"I am giving her my own life energy," replied Red Nova. "And she is giving me hers. The bond Divine Blossom and I share intrinsically links our souls; really, it is this way because I'm a poor zanpakuto maker. I could never get her to properly form as a separate individual, and that's why she never left my body – instead becoming my hair. That's also why she's only good at one thing, and why I'm so unskilled in combat. We will both become exceedingly weak because of this transformation, but in time we will recover in both our original forms."_

_"No, you were brilliant, Red," consoled Archangel, rolling onto his back and exhaling in relaxation. "I've never seen someone with such finesse with a sword…"_

_GRRRAAAAWR!_

_Red Nova spun around with shock in her eyes as the Sorrow let out a scream so piercing and intense that the earth a hundred miles around them fractured and cracked. The planes dividing and trapping his body began to flicker and vibrate with a hum, and one by one they began to show tiny cracks._

_"I-Impossible!" gasped Red Nova, summoning as much strength as she could to prepare against another strike. "How can he be breaking my Godless Planes? I know of no such power!"_

_While Red Nova was confused at the Sorrow's resistance, Archangel knew what was happening; he had heard of it long ago when he was given the title of Head Commodore. Then, the previous Head Commodore had given to him what, at the time, he thought was peculiar and ridiculous teaching, that what made Sorrows so terrifying was that they could dissolve spiritual techniques such as weapons and barriers simply by breathing upon them. Now in the presence of one such Sorrow, however, Archangel finally knew what his predecessor was implying._

_"It is his Sorrow power!" cried out Archangel amid the Sorrow's din. "He gains power by destroying his spirit, and that unorganized spirit matter is dissolving your technique! Red, he is going to break through! You have to get away…!"_

_Archangel's words came to late, and the many golden planes binding the Sorrow's body shattered with tremendous force, this force blasting the earth like a hurricane and tearing all the plant life from the planes out of the ground. In the face of this front, Red Nova stabbed Divine Blossom into the now-barren earth to support herself against the torrent while Archangel held his ground by laying down flat and digging in his hands. What happened thereafter was a mystery to Archangel as he could not see it occur, but the aftermath was one that tore his heart and soul in half._

_A sound of crushing earth, a stifled scream, a loud thud – and Archangel opened his eyes to see Red Nova lying on the ground next to him. Blood poured out of her torn-open throat like a river as she trembled, her eyes open wide with shock and disbelief._

_"R-Red…?" stammered Archangel, unsure if what he was seeing was an illusion. "Red?" What answered him was not from his wife, but from a shadow that overtook them both: a powerful, cold, lifeless sucking sound like wind rushing into a vast, expansive underground cave. All life and happiness vanished from Archangel's soul as he felt it being ripped from his body, and in this defeated state he awaited the mysterious void of the Sorrow's unquenchable, profane soul._

_**Archangel, what is happening? Why is my world falling apart?**_

_**I failed, Piercer of Heaven,**__ replied Archangel in his mind to his zanpakuto. __**Red is going to die, I'm going to die…I have failed my wife and my God.**_

_**What are you talking about? I have recuperated, and we can stop the Giant!**_

_**How can we stop such a terrible being of hatred?**__ asked Archangel defeatedly. __**You saw what he did to Red's ultimate power…how can I do anything?**_

_**You already know the answer,**__ retorted Piercer of Heaven, his tone and words piercing Archangel's lost attitude and restoring his resolve. __**Before, he could not heal himself, but then he did something to gain more power. While recovering, I was watching; his own, original spirit had already consumed and melded with his zanpakuto, El Demonio Duodécimal, long before our battle, but this presence has all but evaporated with this latest, animal-like change. Don't you see, Archangel? He had to sacrifice his own spirit to continue his destruction of Jizengensei, and each and every move he makes further degrades his soul without any form of recompense.**_

_**You mean to say he's…**_

_**He has used his trump card! Red Nova may not have been able to fully stop him, but I can sense it – his spiritual body is barely holding itself together after Divine Blossom's splendid attack. We have to force the Sorrow to exhaust the remainder of his strength through regeneration. One powerful strike, applied equally to both his heart and mind, will be able to stop him!**_

_**But how am I supposed to do anything?**__ asked Archangel sorrowfully, feeling the last few strings of life holding spirit to his body break. __**I cannot move, let alone use any priesthood fast enough or strong enough to…**_

_**Use me,**__ interrupted Piercer of Heaven. __**I will give you all of my strength, and we will use that technique.**_

_**Absolutely not! I will not allow you to perish!**_

_**If you do not grant me this wish of my own free will, then all of Jizengensei will be destroyed!**__ countered Piercer of Heaven angrily. __**If death is unavoidable, then it is better for one to perish than a whole civilization! Please, master…allow me to help you, as the protector of this realm, to defeat this evil!**_

_Nearly gone was Archangel's spirit, but to this request of his zanpakuto he could find no further denial._

_**Very well.**_

_Power and life flowed back into Archangel's body like water from a broken dam, and without even the slightest hint of effort he rose to his feet beneath the Sorrow's soul-sucking force. This startled the Sorrow enough to force a cessation of his meal, causing him to leap back defensively and resume his growling. Before the Sorrow, Archangel's appearance had changed; no longer was he simply donning the spotless white cape and uniform of the Holies, but now he had a gloriously beautiful sword in his hands. White from tip to hilt, this blade was long and straight unlike the typical katana, and its handguard boasted four bent prongs in the shape of the manji*._

_"I can't let you go on like this," started Archangel to the Sorrow, the Head Commodore's elaborate cape flowing gently from the energy leaving his body. Below, Red Nova could no longer breath as her eyes looked vacantly up at her husband; Archangel could sense nothing from her in this state, and in his mind he knew she was likely already dead._

_Ahead, the Sorrow's eyes scowled as puffs of electric purple energy seeped out of his facial orifices like a leaky faucet. Seeing this act caused great sadness in the heart of the Archangel; he knew how Sorrow's functioned, even if it was only taught to him in classes. The Giant, now a Sorrow, was shredding his soul to pieces and using the released energy as a weapon; indeed, this was how Red's Godless Planes were shattered – not by force, but by dissolution. The high-energy, disorganized matter – in this case seen as violet wisps – battered and disrupted the elegant, living bonds of normal spirit matter like a strong acid upon the mortal human body. However – and this became very clear to the Archangel as he looked upon the Sorrow in his elevated state of being – Piercer of Heaven was right. Red Nova's attack had drained the Sorrow nearly completely of his energy, and only a few threads of power held the monster's consciousness together._

_"You were right, Piercer," said Archangel to his sword, though his eyes never left the growling Sorrow ahead of him. "We will use that technique to end this now…but you will die shortly thereafter. Are you sure this is what you want?" Archangel half expected his sword to respond with a resounding no, but to no surprise the answer came back very clearly in his mind._

_**Let us save the world, Archangel.**_

_With a sigh Archangel raised his sword into the air and took a deep breath, to which the Sorrow wasting no time launched himself towards the Head Commodore. Archangel was to be its final barrier to winning the fight against Jizengensei, and even in the monster's animal like, barely coherent state, Archangel knew the Giant was in it to win. The ground beneath the Sorrow shattered several hundred meters deep as he sailed like a comet through the heavens, his claws bared and ready to tear out the throat of the Archangel as he had done to the Red Nova, but as the Giant slashed at the Head Commodore's neck he vanished._

_"The Eternal Piercer of Heaven: Blades of the Inner Cross."_

_His movement was beyond anything the Sorrow was ready for, and like Red Nova's technique there was nothing the Giant could do to defend. One vertical slice from the crown of the head down, followed by a horizontal slice through the heart and upper chest…and it was over. Inside the Sorrow's body, pulses of razor-sharp streams of spiritual energy raged through each and every cell and each and every muscle, tearing his physical and spiritual body to shreds internally. The Sorrow fell to his knees, where he rested for a moment before falling flatly upon his face._

_"You never knew this technique, Giant," said Archangel mournfully, tears pouring down his face as he spoke. "I wanted to show it to you, somehow, before I underwent pasaje, but I never knew how to do it without killing my zanpakuto. As it is, however…" Archangel turned and gazed tearfully upon the ravaged body of the Sorrow; its armor had shattered from Archangel's ultimate technique, revealing the Giant's curly dark brown locks of hair set atop his darkly tanned, handsome, strong face. From Archangel's vantage he could see one of the Giant's exposed, open brown eyes, a peculiar and harrowing look of confusion mixed with terror written within it._

_**I would like to think he had no idea what was going on,**__ thought Archangel as he looked upon the ruined body of his best friend. __**But, I know better; the damning, terrible trait of a Sorrow…is that they know exactly what they are doing. **__Archangel's thoughts were interrupted as Eternal Piercer of Heaven's blade began to shatter at the end._

_"N-No!" gasped Archangel, falling to his while trying to pick up the constantly falling, tiny shards of his dying zanpakuto. "No, Piercer, we won! You don't have to die! Please…please don't die like Red!" Archangel's eyes filled with tears as he saw his sword wither and crumble, leaving him all alone upon the field of death. Archangel had won the battle, but everything he had ever loved was now taken from him; in this saddened state he placed his head into his hands and began to weep – but not for long, as a gentle hum coming from below him caught his attention._

_The Head Commodore uncovered his face and opened his eyes, only to see Piercer of Heaven's humanoid body being restored below him upon the ground below an orange haze. Every detail, every muscle, every whit of clothing and life was there, being brought back from the dead, and while the restoration of his blade was celebratory, Archangel's eyes could only drift over towards his wife. Earlier thought to be dead, Archangel saw her lying upon the ground, her throat torn out and face bloodied, and her arm pointing out towards him. She could not utter a single word as Archangel sat motionlessly upon his knees, unable to move or react in any way as his wife used up the last ounce of strength from her soul to restore his zanpakuto. For several seconds this continued, but once Piercer of Heaven was restored her arm fell, her face became still, and her own zanpakuto, Divine Blossom, shattered into six parts, one petal to each fragment._

_Red Nova was dead, her last gift in life to her husband given, and after the damage had been cleared and the bodies collected, Archangel stood atop the great outer wall of Western Jizengensei, looking out into the wasteland as the Giant's ruined body fell deep down off the high wall. Many minutes the Sorrow's body fell, each of these minutes weighing heavily upon the Archangel's soul as he stood joined by Commodore Jezre'el, Holies Zeezrom, Anthony, Teng, and Helena, as well as Mayor Petre Romanof._

_"This day shall be marked with infamy forever and ever," observed Jezre'el, her beautiful, dark olive skin covered in tears for the passing of her comrade and brother-in-law._

_"But it will not be the end, nor can it ever be," added Zeezrom. "As darkness fades, the light will rise over the mountains, bathing the world in light and life. Whenever darkness falls, light will also rise." It was upon the word "rise" that a flash of light appeared from far below the heights of the wall, and like billions of stars dancing heavenward the spirit particles of all the victims of the Sorrow were liberated, filling the sky before the Holies with unimaginably beautiful light and joy._

_"Death is merely a step towards Eternal Life," declared Archangel, his eyes unable to stop the flow of tears despite his smile. "Whether through pasaje or by other means, there is no victory of death over the eternal soul. The Giant, however, is relegated to Hell for eternal punishment; such is his fate for his choices."_

_Days passed, and life began to be renewed in Jizengensei; the crater northward became filled by the displaced rivers, indicating the formation of a new ocean, and little by little joy returned to the immortal world. Archangel, however, could not escape the empty hole inside his heart, and each and every night he would kneel down in prayer, hoping that somehow, some way, Red Nova would hear him wherever she was._

_**Thank you, my love. I promise I will find you again.**_

Ichigo Kurosaki started blankly at the other members of his party as they stood waiting in the Himalayan snows, his mind returning to him like it had been off on some random, subconscious vacation.

"Ichigo?" asked Declan Greenleaf. "Are you all right?" Ichigo gulped as his mind tried to find anything to tell them, but words seemed hard to form within his mouth.

_That felt so real…_ thought Ichigo, his eyes moving towards his wife. _Orihime…she was Red Nova…_

"Is it the cold?" asked Jasper. "Let me prepare the Burning Bosom priesthood again."

_The Sorrow…beneath his armor he looked so much like Chad. That…that doesn't make any sense…_

"Ichigo, please tell us what's wrong!" pleaded Orihime. "You were out for almost ten minutes!" Ichigo gulped again and took a deep breath, lowering his eyes to the ground as the words finally came.

"We're all going to die."

**Next: CHAPTER 12 – A DIFFICULT SHINIGAMI**

**BONUS!**

Wife had a baby. Started an internship in Oklahoma. Moved away from Utah for three months. I will try to get back into the swing of things, but the overall result? No bonus this week. Next time, I promise.

*The shape of the manji is somewhat similar to what is commonly called a swastika – only without the evil. The prongs are thinner compared to the central square, and the overall look is that of rotation.


	13. Chapter 12: A Difficult Shinigami

**CHAPTER 12: A DIFFICULT SHINIGAMI**

"INCORRECT!"

The booming voice shook the walls and students of the large, auditorium-style classroom of Seireitei of Soul Society like vases in an earthquake. Several of the more timid students cowered in fear over the massive voice of their teacher Uri, a large, dark, bald, and utterly intense Shinigami dressed in a black instructor's uniform, while the rest of the young men and women sat in silence, wide-eyed at their teacher's outburst.

"You could not be more wrong!" continued Uri-sensei, who, at one time, was known as Toriko. His comments, directed towards a blond-haired teenage boy sitting in the third row. "Total sensory focus is not a talent you are born with, nor is it something our zanpakuto gives us! It is something that anyone and everyone can attain – through hard work, determination, and guts! Seriously, what are the other teachers telling you?"

"Uh…" stammered the blond student in his blue and white school uniform-kimono. "I was just trying to say that, you know, some people have it easier with being able to use their senses, while others have to find other ways of making up the difference, you know? I mean, for example, I'm no good with kido, but I'm really great with a sword so I don't think I'll need kido…"

"And I'm saying that YOU'RE WRONG!" crowed Uri-sensei, putting the fear of god into the young student. "That mindset will only get you killed in the battlefield! If you at any moment consider any skill out of reach, then you have failed not as a Shinigami, but as an individual spirit! True, some have natural leanings and aptitudes, but these do not lead one to skill mastery, nor are they required."

"Then sensei, how does one master the senses like you are saying?" asked another student, this a tall, pretty black-haired girl in a red and white kimono. "How can we see better than our eyes already can see? How can we hear better than our ears can already hear?"

"Yeah," seconded another student, this a brown haired boy with a sharp chin and nose. "Growing muscles is one thing, but how do we grow senses? That doesn't make sense to me." These two questions brought a wry smile to Uri-sensei's face as he began to pace slowly back and forth in front of the large class of trainees.

"To answer your question, let's take an example from our own world," replied Uri softly and excitedly, the large man clearly enjoying his role as teacher despite his energetic earlier responses. "Do you think the Captains of Soul Society were blessed with natural talent to become captains, or do you think they worked to reach that position? In other words, what makes Captain Kuchiki a captain and not a Vice-Captain?"

"Well obviously they've had to work to become captains," answered the girl. "No one becomes a captain overnight, but not everyone has a Bankai or can even reach it…"

"That is a sad misconception, sad inasmuch as it is so widely believed among Shinigami," said Uri-sensei, now turning to face the pretty girl in the fifth row center. "While it certainly seems like Bankai can only be achieved by a select few, it is not due to any form of fate; rather, Bankai is only achieved by those who put in the most amount of effort. You think young Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya was simply born with Bankai? Of course not! However, with that work and perseverance anyone – and I mean anyone, even all of you – can achieve Bankai during your lives."

"The confusion is inherent in your question, young lady," continued Uri-sensei, his whole body getting into the lecture. "You presume that at our current state our eyes, ears, nose, and skin is at the height of development. But even as spirits, most of having already gone through multiple lives in both the Real World and Afterlife, our senses are like those of a newborn. Your eyes have barely begun to see, and your ears have barely begun to hear – and the purpose of this course is to help you unlock the barriers inside your own spirits that hinder your senses."

"Sensei…?"

Uri-sensei's lecture came to a halt as the tall, dark, and soft-spoken Chad sat with his hand raised high above the student body.

"Yes, Yasutora?" replied Uri. "Is there something you still don't understand?"

"Does this teaching apply to a zanpakuto?" posed Chad.

"Of course," answered Uri, straightening his back and squaring his shoulders as he spoke. "The zanpakuto within our souls grows in a very similar way to our senses…"

"What if you don't have a zanpakuto?"

"Ah, I see," mused Uri after pausing a moment to internalize Chad's questioning. "It isn't unheard of for a student to not have a zanpakuto already present, but despite the vacancy of the companion spirit, the bond between you and your zanpakuto exists and transcends space. In other words, your zanpakuto may not be with you now, but you still have a bond with it."

"But how do I know if…" started Chad, but Uri-sensei cut him off.

"My colleague Shigeryu-sensei can better answer that question for you," declared Uri, now stepping over towards the podium and picking up several oversized books. "And since my class time is over and his is beginning, you should ask him yourself." With the last syllable the door to the classroom slid open, after which a shorter, wildly dark-haired and wolf-like man entered in, dressed in the same manner as Uri. This entrance was met with gasps and sighs from the female students coupled with gulps of intimidation from many of the young men infatuated with said women; indeed, Shigeryu-sensei was a favorite among the students of the Academy, some for his humor, but many for his rugged, handsome, and untethered appearance.

"A question regarding the lack of a zanpakuto?" asked Shigeryu happily, his ruddy smile sending at least one of the young girls into a flushed state. "I am Shigeryu, your instructor on Shinigami-Zanpakuto relationship. I currently do not have any other name, so please call me Shigeryu. I don't care for being called 'professor' or 'sensei', but if you must use honorifics, I suggest using sama or dono. Regardless of the name, however, I can definitely answer your question, whatever it may be."

"Thank you, Shigeryu-sama," replied Chad as Uri left the room and closed the door. "Uri-sensei said that even if I don't have a zanpakuto inside me, I have a bond with a zanpakuto somewhere in the world. Is this true?"

"Of course it's true," replied Shigeryu, taking a seat in a tall chair on the podium. "It is very difficult for the bond between a person and their zanpakuto to be sheared away, regardless of the physical distance of separation."

"So how do I find this zanpakuto? How do I know if it is the right one for me?"

"Well, that is the rub, isn't it?" chuckled Shigeryu, taking a deep breath and leaning back in his chair while folding his arms relaxingly behind his head and he expounded. "Part of learning to become a Shinigami is to recognize the resonance between your soul and the soul of another. Since you and your zanpakuto are created of the same spirit matter, emotional outbursts or even being close to your zanpakuto will elicit a feeling upon you that only you can feel. Furthermore…"

Shigeryu stopped speaking for a moment, his eyes having wandered down to take a closer look at Chad. A scowl erupted within the teacher's eyes for a moment, pondering and studying the tall, well-built young man in his classroom.

"Sensei?" asked Chad timidly after several seconds of silence while Shigeryu stared at him with concerned curiosity. "What is it?"

"What is your name, my young pupil?"

"Yasutora Sado," replied Chad. "But everyone calls me Chad."

"And how long have you been in Soul Society?"

"This is my second day," answered Chad. "Aiseki Kennomichi of Squad Thirteen brought me into this world after my funeral on Earth."

"The Vice-Captain, huh?" mused Shigeryu, his voice becoming soft. "Man, they didn't want to waste any time at all…"

"Aiseki is the Vice-Captain?" gasped Chad. "But…he didn't say anything like that to me, and nobody said anything to him about it the entire way here..."

"That's how Vice-Captain Kennomichi is," said Shigeryu. "He's not big on titles, just like me; it might have something to do with keeping a low profile behind his wife. But that is neither here nor there; I would like to continue answering your questions for the class, but unfortunately I cannot."

"Sensei?" asked Chad to this peculiar statement, but Shigeryu went on without addressing him.

"Before entering class today I was given an order direct from the Captain-Commander himself," declared Shigeryu loudly so that all the students could hear him clearly. "Class is to be cut early, and all students with Squad positions already determined are to report immediately to their squads for intense training." A rush of murmuring enveloped the class, all the students wary and confused about Shigeryu's declaration.

"Shigeryu-sama, what's going on?" asked one of the male students in the front row. "I've never had class cut before…"

"I'm not supposed to give details, but…" replied Shigeryu, drawing an immediate hush to the class as he spoke. "Something terrible happened in the Real World last night, and Soul Society wants to make sure they have all the warriors they can get – just in case. Now then, all those of you without squads should go home immediately; your homework due after we are given the all clear is to write a report on the normal development of a zanpakuto spirit, and how we can help this development along. Five pages, no less. Those of you with squads will please remain here in the classroom with me for a few moments before departing for your squads. Class dismissed!"

Shigeryu turned around as the class began to vacate the room, all the while with his back turned to them he began erasing the many figures jotted on the chalkboard (Uri-sensei had a bad habit of not cleaning up after himself). Little by little the sounds of bustling, vocal students faded as they departed the school, until at last the room was left in silence. At the head of the auditorium Shigeryu finished cleaning the chalkboard, upon which he took a breath and turned to speak – though as he did so the words failed to come as he grew a look of thorough disappointment.

"What, you're the only one?"

"I guess I am," replied Chad, his deep voice echoing throughout the chamber. "I'm sorry to say this, but…I am really, really confused."

"As am I," replied Shigeryu. "But probably about a completely different topic. Please, come with me." Shigeryu beckoned for Chad to follow him, and he did as requested. The two then left the classroom through the same door that Shigeryu entered, introducing Chad to a long, silent hallway marked with interspersed windows, wood slatted flooring, and significantly warmer temperatures.

"This hallway faces the sun in the mornings, and the ventilation is terrible," observed Shigeryu as the two walked. "So it tends to get hot."

"I see," responded Chad tentatively. In his mind Chad was confused and weary; he had been in Soul Society for about twenty-four hours now, and it had been nothing like he would have expected – even having spent so much time here in the past. Classes were far more difficult and intense than anything he had experienced growing up in Karakura Town (most particularly the Reiatsu Control course taught by Kiria-sensei – several students were left unconscious in just the first lesson alone), and with all that had happened to him recently it seemed almost cruel. After all, wasn't part of the Afterlife supposed to be a period of rest?

"Once I learned your name I knew exactly who you were," began Shigeryu, their footsteps echoing loudly in the tall, slender corridor. "It is a wonder that your classmates treat you as normally as they do, considering who you are to them."

"And who am I to them?" asked Chad, to which his sensei smiled.

"Yasutora Sado, one of the famed ryoka," replied Shigeryu in an official tone. "A rescuer of his new comrade Rukia Kuchiki, a legend in Soul Society lore, and a stalwart of decency and charity. While I wasn't in Seireitei at the time, I've learned a great deal about you since your passing in the Real World."

"My passing…" muttered Chad, his mind drifting back several days earlier when it all happened.

"Many cultures in the Real World and even here in Soul Society believe that the greatest men are those who give their lives to protect others."

"I don't consider myself to be great," said Chad quickly to Shigeryu's statement. "Charity is the pure love of God; that is how I decided to live my life ten years ago."

"A fantastic philosophy," observed Shigeryu. "Those words are present in some of Earth's religious cultures, but you never had any contact with them that I know of."

"To be honest, I don't remember where I learned that phrase," continued Chad plainly. "I do know that someone very important taught it to me, but who, when, and where I do not know. Regardless of the source, however, I have been happier since following that principle."

"Yet here you are in the Afterlife because of it," quipped Shigeryu, looking at Chad with a slight turn of his head. "Is it your belief in this principle that led you to enter that burning building in Karakura?"

"People were in trouble, and I was the only one who could have helped them," answered Chad. "It's what anyone would have done."

"That's not true," replied Shigeryu rapidly. "Only the most noble among us has the resolve to abandon our own self-interest for others. It is a behavior that acts counter to instinct and the basic human condition. Needless to say, you were able to save all thirty-seven people trapped in the fire with no fatalities except…"

"Except my own," declared Chad, finishing Shigeryu's statement for him.

"Such is life," mused Shigeryu after a moment. "We never know the results of our decisions until they are upon us."

"But we can change our reactions to those results," added Chad, prompting an enlightened smile from Shigeryu. "I am happy with my decision, and I will never regret it. So what that I died because of it; I am sure that good will come of all of this."

"That is good," agreed Shigeryu. "You have a very sound mind; it will serve you very well with your zanpakuto relationship."

"But I don't have a zanpakuto."

"Nonsense," countered Shigeryu happily, the two now at the end of the hallway. Ahead of them was a door leading to the outside, and Shigeryu firmly pushed against it, opening it and flooding the two of them with gentle, warm sunlight.

"We just need to find it."

Outside the summer day was beautiful, and the warmth and beauty did well to ease Chad's heart and mind, both troubled with the weariness his spirit felt. This warmth filled him and relaxed him, so much so that for a moment he failed to notice the person standing in front of the dressed in a fine black kimono with a bright white sash around his waist firmly supporting his katana.

"Thank you, Shigeryu-sama," declared Vice-Captain of Squad Thirteen Aiseki Kennomichi beneath a mop of spiky brown hair. "I can take it from here."

"Actually, would it be a problem if I accompanied you?" asked Shigeryu to the vice-captain. "I think I can be of service, particularly since Chad here is still learning about zanpakuto relationships."

"I wouldn't want to trouble you…" countered Aiseki, but Shigeryu raised his hand and shook his head.

"Class has already been dismissed, and I have no other plans for the day."

"Very well," accepted Aiseki, straightening his shoulders as he spoke. "Chad, is this all right with you?"

"Huh…oh, yeah," stuttered Chad, the question from Aiseki having jarred him back to reality. "That would be fine."

"Then let's get a move on," said Aiseki, turning around and walking away from the school grounds. "We have a lot of work ahead of us; finding a zanpakuto can be difficult, but I think I've been able to locate several good candidates."

"Candidates?" asked Chad.

"Zanpakuto that Rukia and I thought would be a good match for you," answered Aiseki as the three quickly walked. "There are many zanpakuto here in Soul Society; some are abandoned through death or other means, others are passed down from older Shinigami, while others just seem to show up from time to time. Since you are most definitely a Shinigami with great spiritual strength, your zanpakuto will most definitely be here…somewhere."

"Are you sure?" asked Chad, the trio now outside of the school ground and heading towards the barracks of the Thirteenth Squad still quite a distance away. "Sensei mentioned that I would have been able to feel a bond with the zanpakuto even if it weren't in my body, but…I've never felt anything like that before except with my Abuelo."

"I understand you possess a curious power within your body," answered Shigeryu. "It was evident in the past when you invaded Soul Society, its manifestation being that of armor covering your arms. Perhaps this power has been distracting you from your zanpakuto?"

"My Abuelo's spirit was with me," responded Chad slowly. "Though…since I died things have felt very different. Furthermore, I don't really have an explanation for my other arm…at least not one that I find acceptable or believable*. To be honest, I always thought it was more like a Hollow based on my experience in Hueco Mundo."

"Who knows," stated Aiseki. "But I'm sure we'll find your zanpakuto soon."

"On a different topic, how has your wife been?" asked Shigeryu to Aiseki, derailing the previous conversation in a manner that Chad found to be a little odd. "I haven't seen Captain Anders in quite some time."

"Alicia was…I mean, Captain Anders was sent to the Real World on a mission surrounding the Hackney Incident," said Aiseki promptly, though as he did so his face became shocked, then disappointed – all in the matter of a second.

"Aiseki?" asked Shigeryu. "What's wrong?"

"Sorry, I shouldn't really be talking about that," answered Aiseki quickly. "Not with Chad being so new here. I'm sure Captain Ukitake would be very upset should rumors begin to spread."

"Vice-Captain, what are you talking about?" pressed Chad. Ahead, Aiseki's head slumped for a moment, after which he looked left to right. His eyes landed upon a darker alleyway off to the right of the main thoroughfare and deftly he moved towards it, beckoning Shigeryu and Chad to follow. Once all three had entered the shadows of the alley, Aiseki again addressed them, though now his voice was no louder than a whisper.

"It is imperative that you keep this completely secret," implored Aiseki as softly as he could. "Only a few outside of the thirteen captains and the Squad Twelve officers know about this, and I don't want to be punished – but to be honest, I think that it would be good for both of you to know." Aiseki then raised his head and looked around once more before continuing.

"Hackney, a borough of London, was completely wiped out last night."

"A city in the Real World was destroyed?" asked Shigeryu. "By what? A Hollow?"

"It wasn't a Hollow, that much we know for certain," continued Aiseki. "As far as who the real culprit is, I've only heard bits and pieces – but they are saying it was a human boy that did it."

"So a bomb then?" asked Chad. "What's so secret about that?"

"It wasn't a bomb," replied Aiseki. "It was definitely a spiritual effect, whatever it was. Anyway, someone else was there with the boy after the city was destroyed, and this person wiped out an entire travelling squad in a matter of minutes."

"What squad was it?" asked Shigeryu.

"The squad of the Dual Bankai users, Reiji and Kunei Asubaku."

"That...that's impossible!" gasped Shigeryu. "I trained them both! They were captain-class Shinigami!"

"What about this other person?" asked Chad. "Who was it?"

"Nobody knows," answered Aiseki. "My wife thinks his name is Noble or something, but Squad Twelve couldn't get any type of reading on him. All we know is that before he attacked his eyes glowed purple, like they were on fire." Something in these words pricked Chad's soul, and for a moment he sat dumbfounded at the sensation.

_What was that?_ thought Chad in this moment of stupor. _It felt so cold and dark, so heavy…yet so nostalgic._

"You're right, that doesn't sound like a Hollow," pondered Shigeryu.

"Anyway, the reason we have to train Chad now is that the higher-ups are worried that whatever did this will come to Soul Society," continued Aiseki. "They want all the help they can get – just in case things go badly. And since Chad is a legend, they feel he can be of great value to the protection of the Seireitei."

"But I just can't believe it…" said Shigeryu softly in disbelief. "Reiji and Kunei…they were both ready to become captains once a vacancy appeared. Personally I thought they both exceeded Captain Abarai…"

"Exceeded me in what?"

Shigeryu, Aiseki, and Chad all froze in place, their spirits hard as stone as this fourth voice joined them. Dulcet and deep, this voice exuded strength and power, all while drawing out terror from the three hideaways. Beneath its intimidating force Shigeryu slowly turned his head to address the source of the voice standing out in the street near them.

"Oh, hey…" stammered Shigeryu. "How are you, Captain Abarai?"

"Renji?" gasped Chad, seeing his old friend for the first time in years, standing up in surprise at the sight.

"It's been a while, Chad," said Renji with a smile upon his tattooed face, his blood-red hair much longer than before and dropping to his lower back while the top rested in elegant ties and weaves. Truly Renji looked the part of a Captain, complete with the white haori emblazed with the kanji for "nine" upon his back. Chad stepped out from the alley and stood before Renji, looking him up and down for a moment before speaking.

"Captain, huh?" observed Chad, feeling as happy as he did when he saw Rukia earlier. "Very nice."

"Yeah," agreed Renji. "But seriously, what are you guys talking about that you have to hide in an alley? Oh, don't tell me – Aiseki was telling you about the creature in England?"

"F-Forgive me, Captain Abarai!" exclaimed Aiseki, standing abruptly and bowing in penitence. "I felt I could trust the information with Shigeryu-sensei and Chad; they are both powerful spirits, and…"

"You don't have to apologize," interrupted Renji, looking up and away while rubbing the back of his head. "They would've found soon enough. I mean, its not every day you lose an entire squad – save one member of course."

"One member?" asked Shigeryu. "Who survived?"

"Hanataro Yamada."

"Hanataro?" asked Chad. "From the Fourth Squad?"

"Yeah," answered Renji. "He hasn't been with Captain Unohana for years, though. He went and made a name for himself as the second-most talented healer in Soul Society and was joined to a traveling squad. Word is that Captain Alicia Anders rescued him."

"Then he should be plenty safe," declared Aiseki, the fear in his voice now gone. "By the way Captain, what are you doing out here? Isn't your squad in training today?"

"Yeah, but I was given another assignment while our third seat took over," started Renji, his eyes back down towards the Shinigami in the alley. "Hisagi is on Earth with Captain Anders and Captain Hitokage, and apparently Captain Ukitake is out on assignment."

"Wait, the Captain isn't waiting for us?" asked Aiseki stepping out of the alley.

"Captain-Commander Yamamoto thought that I, having fought alongside Chad so many times, would be a better choice," continued Renji, his tone starting to sound annoyed. "I've been put in charge of overseeing Chad's zanpakuto selection."

"Ah, I imagine this will be entertaining for you then," quipped Shigeryu. "Seeing your history together…"

"Excuse me…" interrupted Chad, drawing the attention of the three Shinigami to himself. "I don't get it; why are so many people interested in my zanpakuto? And why does a captain have to be there?" The group was silent for a moment, each person looking away nervously while trying to formulate the most delicate way to answer.

"There is potential danger involved…" started Aiseki slowly, his words treading carefully as he spoke. "As a human you had unique properties, and we aren't sure what will happen with the zanpakuto discovery in light of these."

"As far as I'm concerned, I'm just curious," interjected Shigeryu. "You are Chad, the legendary ryoka. In my opinion, whatever zanpakuto you have must be something incredible to behold."

"Again, I don't have a zanpakuto," declared Chad stubbornly. "I know you keep saying that I just have to find it, but I'm telling you – I don't have one. I've never felt any type of bond you were discussing earlier, and I've never felt any part of me was somewhere else in the universe."

"Just as I expected," sighed Renji, looking down at the ground for a moment before lifting his head with a smile. "You are a difficult Shinigami, Yasutora Sado."

**Next: CHAPTER 13 – ELIMINATION**

**BONUS!**

_Remember: important._

*_The asterisk refers to an earlier statement which represents my personal view on the whole stupid "Fullbring" thing. Bleach totally sucks now, so I am supplanting Tite's absurd new ideas with my own reality. Thank you for listening to my rant, and look forward to the next chapter! And now, the continuation of Kenpachi's adventure!_

Hundreds of the residents of the Kurosaki's neighborhood fled wildly and screaming for safety as the world around them seemed to be exploding. None of these panicked citizens could se what was really happening, however, for they were too clouded with fear and shock to notice the snobbish young man seemingly fighting with himself on the neighborhood streets.

"HA!" chortled the Sorrow called Rupert, also known as The Infatigable, as he stood in the base of a crater recently formed in the middle of a block of ruined houses. "You're seriously a captain of Soul Society? They seriously sent a sissy like you to protect the children of the Archangel?" Some distance away Captain Kenpachi Zaraki fell down from high in the air, crashing hard amid the brand-new rubble of the Karakura neighborhood. Several moments passed before he stood up, however, and this caused some visible frustration with Rupert.

"Hey, hey, hey! What the hell is this?" shouted out Rupert to Kenpachi as the massive captain slowly stood, his perfectly spiked hair becoming a bit frazzled with the loss of a few of the trademark bells attached to the ends. "We've barely been at this for three minutes, and you're already too weak to stand up?"

"Normally…" began Kenpachi from the rubble as he gradually got to his feet, his haori and body covered in gashes and streaks of blood. "Normally I would be overjoyed to fight someone who could kick the shit out of me like this. As it is though, I can't really give you any credit…" Kenpachi could not finish his words as Rupert's blindingly fast fist collided with his stomach, knocking blood and saliva from Kenpachi's mouth as he smashed through house after house, not coming to a stop for nearly five blocks.

"Don't insult me, Shinigami!" growled Rupert, having already traversed the distance from the attack and now standing above Kenpachi with burning violet eyes, the latter on his back but looking away morosely despite the force of the Sorrow's spirit. "Like I said earlier, you ain't got nothing on me – so why do keep acting all cool like you're better than me? Huh?"

"This really sucks," grumbled Kenpachi in a tone that exuded an ignorance of Rupert – which only enraged him further. "There's no fun in this at all."

"What, normally it's fun when you get beaten up like a punching bag?" chided Rupert, his anger manifesting itself into a fiendish grin, made all the more devilish with the violet emission of wisping energy. "Or is it that you've never faced an enemy as powerful as me? Is that what's got you down, Mistuh Shee-nee-gah-mee?"

"You?" quipped Kenpachi quickly, turning his unpatched eye upwards towards Rupert, after which he grunted out a short laugh. "Please, you aren't even on the level of an Espada."

"What, you can tell how strong I am?" asked Rupert mockingly. "Don't make me laugh! You know as well as I do that you can't sense any spiritual aura from this glorious body of mine!"

"Don't have to," continued Kenpachi, reverting his gaze to some distance location away from Rupert the Sorrow. "I can tell by your kicks and punches, from the way you move, from the way you breathe while fighting – you're barely on the level of that Yammy guy before he went all huge on me."

"There you go again!" cried out the enraged Rupert, his eyes burning brighter at the accent of each syllable. "You are beyond belief, Shinigami! Here you are getting plastered onto the street, and you keep insulting me like you're something special!"

"Hey, its not my fault," retorted Kenpachi drearily. "I don't get sent to the Real World much, and Yachiru is the one who gets the messages."

"Messages?" asked Rupert, his tone switching to curiosity. "What messages?"

"KEN-CHAAAAAAAAN!"

Rupert spun around instantly as little Vice-Captain Yachiru's high-pitched voice rang out across the entire neighborhood, playful and bubbly despite the devastation surrounding from Rupert's crushing blows.

"What the…?" wondered Rupert aloud, his attention turned away, thus preventing him from noticing the smile developing on Kenpachi's face.

"Ken-chan!" continued Yachiru, appearing from behind a collapsed roof a block away. "I called Akon-san for you! He says since everyone is already running away Soul Society is okay with you releasing your seal!"

"Seal?" repeated Rupert, but by then his question was already answered. From beneath him Kenpachi's body began to radiate like then sun with energy, the Captain immediately rising to his feet with a monstrous grin.

"Now that I'm able to actually do something…" growled Kenpachi, and with another word he sliced his chipped katana down upon Rupert, the latter not ready for the attack. Steel collided with palpable force, and Rupert was sent sliding backwards a great distance, leaning forward and digging in his feet to prevent collapsing beneath Kenpachi's sudden, completely unexpected strike. For several moments Rupert stood silent, his forearms still covering his face with a large, bloody gash crossing the exposed sides of his forearms, his chest heaving in deep breaths.

"What in God's name did you just do?" asked the Sorrow between breaths. "You're like…you're like a different person now."

"Soul Society thinks us Captains have too much spiritual power," answered Kenpachi, raising and setting the blunt edge of his katana against his shoulder. "Every time we come to the Real World, they seal away about eighty percent of our power. With me, however, I am already sealing a lot of my strength, so it ends up being closer to ninety percent of my power."

"You're saying…" gasped Rupert, his violet eyes now wide in shock. "That you're ten times as powerful as you were just moments ago?"

"Nothing of the sort!" laughed Kenpachi, then lowering his face and glaring an evil eye at the bleeding Sorrow.

"With the seal removed, I'm only at fifty percent."

Rupert suddenly lost sight of Kenpachi, but his powers as a Sorrow would not fail him this time. A quick hop into the air protected the Sorrow from the devastation the tip of Zaraki's zanpakuto as it cut horizontally through the air. With cleverness Rupert then arched his body around while the momentum of Kenpachi's swing carried him, and gathering energy upon his fist Rupert lunged his arm forward towards the Captain's head. This attack contained the full force that the Sorrow could create on such short notice; while weaker than his full potential, such a strike would most certainly leave a terrible wound – even for a fully-powered captain of Soul Society.

"Heh…"

A loud clap sounded out amongst the debris, and Rupert could only stare onward in horror as his fist collided not with Kenpachi's head, but with his open palm. The energy fluttered away, and Rupert found himself defenseless in this split instant. He could try to build up energy and release it from his body all at once, but it would take too long; after all, Kenpachi's blade was mere milliseconds away from slicing him in half as he hovered helplessly in the slow-motion universe of the battle.

"See ya," grunted Kenpachi with a cruel smile, and his sword neared its mark – only to be thrust to the ground beneath a shadow. The ground rumbled and shook with this deflection, Kenpachi's blade trapped beneath the foot of the newcomer. With a quick blow to the chest this newcomer knocked Rupert away like a ragdoll, simultaneously dealing a successful kick to Kenpachi's chest, knocking him too away several yards. Pain reeled through Kenpachi's body with this strike; while the distance thrown back was short, his body had been forced to accept the power of the kick. Several ribs were broken like twigs, and his left lung was surely pierced.

"Rupert, you fail your Master," declared the newcomer in a deep, feminine alto, the figure's back turned to Kenpachi. This newcomer was dressed in a similar, country club-esque fashion as Rupert – a denim skirt set several inches above the knee, and a flowery, tight-fitted shirt emblazoned with Hibiscus flowers, though it boasted a long spray of glimmering blonde hair from the top of its head all the way to the small of the back.

"Rachel, I'm sorry…" pleaded Rupert, immediately getting to his feet. "I'll finish it right now…"

"Just kneel and repent to your Master," growled Rachel, turning to Kenpachi and revealing her extraordinarily beautiful, long, pointed face and radiant purple eyes. "I, the Deathstalker, will deal with this trash while you think about your sinfulness."


	14. Chapter 13: Elimination

**CHAPTER 13: ELIMINATION**

"This is the place," declared Aiseki Kennomichi as the group including Chad, Shigeryu, and Captain Renji Abarai entered the large, open area in the empty labyrinth on North Seireitei. All around stood miles and miles and winding, twisting walls, creating a massive maze stretching as far as the eye could see – one such maze that entrapped a much younger Ichigo Kurosaki many years earlier. Today, however, this maze was chosen for a different and very specific reason – the discovery of Yasutora Sado's zanpakuto.

"Welcome, Vice-Captain," chimed Rukia Kuchiki of Squad Thirteen as the four entered the empty, tiled square. "And Shigeryu-sensei, it is good to see you!" Rukia's words halted at this point as she turned her petite, lovely body and black-haired head around to fiddle more with a pile of Katanas resting upon the ground. Meanwhile, the crimson-haired Captain Renji Abarai felt something snap in his psyche at this display.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!"

"Hee hee!" giggled Rukia, placing her hand to her mouth and smiling back at Renji, whose face was as crimson as his hair. "I guess I'm just not used to seeing a wuss like you being a captain, so I didn't want to say anything."

"A wuss, huh?" growled back Renji to his dearest friend of many decades, his eye twitching as he spoke with teeth bared. "Would you like to see how much of a wuss I am after all this time?" Renji's hand slowly dropped down until his fingers were clasped firmly upon Zabimaru, his zanpakuto.

"Oh Renji, hot-blooded as always!" giggled Rukia further, after which she stepped towards the Captain and embraced him, burying her head into his sternum. "I just missed you, that's all; now that you're a Captain, I never get to see you."

"You haven't seen each other in these last ten years?" asked Chad, appalled at the thought of such separation in the Afterlife. "But you are both Shinigami…"

"Times haven't been challenging," chimed in Renji as Rukia released him and went back to tending the katanas. "Back when you first came here, times were tough with Aizen's rebellion, and we were forced to intensify the cooperative efforts of the different squads. Since then, however, Hollow activity is way down and times have been peaceful. Squads have been tending to their original duties, and not much interaction has been happening."

"It's too bad, too," added Aiseki. "Things may never be the same…"

"But here we are," interjected Chad. "Renji, Shigeryu…people of different squads altogether again."

"Indeed," declared Rukia, turning around to face Chad with a plain-looking katana with a blue-wrapped handle in her hands. "Times are changing, aren't they? Now then, Captain Ukitake and Vice-Captain Kennomichi want us to help you find your lost zanpakuto."

"How do you know it's lost?"

"When you entered Soul Society, Akon of Squad Twelve noticed that your spiritual weight had decreased from just before your death," continued Rukia, her violet eyes glistening in the sunlight. "For a spirit destined to become a shinigami this is unusual – unless the zanpakuto becomes separated from the body during death."

"In except for the most rare of cases, humans have no contact with the zanpakuto within their spirits," said Shigeryu, stepping forward to educate Chad. "It isn't until the Afterlife that a zanpakuto truly begins to awaken, and thereafter the host and zanpakuto can interact fully. In your case, and in the case of many others, the zanpakuto becomes separated and lost, wandering aimlessly in Soul Society until it is found."

"And you think one of these swords is my zanpakuto?" asked Chad, to which Shigeryu and Rukia lightly grinned.

"Something like that…" muttered Rukia. "Anyway, please take this sword in your hands."

"All right," agreed Chad, reaching over and plucking the katana from Rukia's grasp. The sword was nothing more than what Chad had expected as he held and observed it, that being a plain, old katana of no special significance. Chad then looked harder at the blade of the katana in hopes that somehow he was missing something, and his focus on the blade increased further and further, so much so that he failed to notice the growing shadow surrounding him.

"On your guard, Yasutora!" cried out Rukia from above, and with a gasp Chad looked up and saw his dear friend rapidly descending towards him while swinging her own zanpakuto downwards.

"R-Rukia?" gasped Chad, but this was all he could say before being forced to leap out of the way of Rukia's blade, this slicing into the ground below and sending shattered shards of rock and earth airborne. Several meters away Chad slid to a halt, the katana in his right hand hanging down awkwardly – a fact of which Rukia quickly took note.

"That isn't a letter opener you've got there, Chad!" cautioned Rukia, her normally sweet alto voice home to no friendship or tolerance as she addressed the new Shinigami. "You'll have to use that zanpakuto if you want to defeat me!"

"But…you're not my enemy!" shot back Chad, his eyes opened widely, contrasting their whites against his dark, tanned skin. "Why are you attacking me like this?"

"A Shinigami who only questions their foe will only perish!" continued Rukia, pressing her feet into the ground and launching into a vicious sprint towards Chad. "If you want to be a Shinigami, you have to kill me first!" Rukia quickly reached Chad's position, but instead of raising his sword to deflect he could only again leap out of the way of Rukia's deadly, slicing blade. The air split from the speed of her attack, sounding like wind rushing through a forest as she swung, and once again Chad found himself sliding to a stop several meters away. Sweat began to pour down the sides of his head as he fell to one knee; since arriving in Soul Society just a short time earlier, he had not yet been subjected to any type of grueling or difficult exercise. This aspect of his duration here was now very apparent to his entire spirit, his breathing already very heavy and labored, sweat now pouring down his face like spring runoff. Still, the katana given to him was still held limply by his right hand, the blade dropped and dragging against the ground as if he knew not what to do with it.

"Rukia…please…" panted Chad, his vision becoming slightly blurred from his sudden, extreme fatigue. "I don't want…to kill you. I would never…"

"As a Shinigami…" began Rukia, resetting her stance and raising her sword in preparation for the next strike. "You must never be afraid to cut, and you must never fear being cut. You cannot be afraid to kill, and you must never be afraid to die. I am attacking you with full intent to kill; if you do not raise that katana in your hands against me, with full intent to slice me open and kill me where I stand, then you have no business being a Shinigami! It doesn't matter what you want – I'm here to kill you, and you must stop me! If you don't, then you will die!"

At these words Chad pained internally; he did not want to ever blemish the skin of his dear friend Rukia, and halfheartedly he looked towards the others, hoping somehow they would see the lunacy in Rukia's words – but no such sight was to be found. Instead, Renji, Aiseki, and Shigeryu all looked onward towards him with looks of disgust and disappointment. Each glare shot through Chad's psyche like a laser, and despite his wishes, the words which Rukia spoke rang true in his soul. In fact, it wasn't even the first time he had heard words like them…

_"What was it like when I first met Zangetsu?"_

_"Yes," replied Chad to Ichigo's request as the two sat upon a tall hill in the park of southern Karakura. Wind lightly breezed past them in the late afternoon sun while Ichigo turned his gaze skyward, leaning back and resting his back upon the ground and placing his arms behind his head._

_"Why do you want to know?" requested Ichigo._

_"Curiosity, I suppose," continued Chad, likewise looking up into the sky as several long clouds drifted past. "Nothing more."_

_"Well, it wasn't just a sudden thing, you know?" said Ichigo, his eyes following one particular cloud shaped like a sword. "It was much more gradual, but I guess I didn't really figure out what was going on until Uruhara brought my powers back after Byakuya took them away."_

_"He roughed you up pretty good, I understand."_

_"And I roughed him up too," declared Ichigo proudly. "But it was that crazy experience that really got me to know Zangetsu. It was at the point where I knew I was losing the Hollow transformation – not like a feeling, but actually knowing that the end of life as I knew it was right there. That's when he first showed himself to me."_

_"What does he look like?"_

_"He's hard core," replied Ichigo. "When I first saw him, I thought he was the coolest, most powerful looking person I had ever seen in my life. But more than that I felt like I knew exactly who he was, like a friend I had known since birth. In fact, I'm sure he did know me from birth…"_

_"What did he tell you?"_

_"You're being a little nosy, aren't you?"_

_"I'm sorry, Ichigo," answered Chad humbly. "It's just that…I'm not really sure what's going on inside of me. After being to Hueco Mundo and seeing that there's more to me than just my Abuelo's spirit, I was wondering that if I understood how you and Zangetsu interact, it might help me understand myself."_

_"What, you think you have a zanpakuto?" asked Ichigo, to which Chad shook his head in the negative. "Well then, if you're so curious, I'll tell you exactly what he told me. You see, I was being a real puss, you know, scared to death of doing anything after Uruhara ran me all over that underground cavern of his. It seemed like it was all over when Uruhara cut up the last remaining bits of that broken hilt I had…but that all changed when Zangetsu set me straight. He told me…"_

Rukia's blade again slashed at Chad, but this time he made no attempt at dodging it; instead, he raised up the little katana given to him and blocked her attack. Shock exploded into Rukia's visage, her eyes widened at Chad's sudden change in tactics. Not only did he block her heavy attack, he did so without even moving back an inch.

_Abandon your fears! Look ahead! Go forward! Never stop!_

As though a switch had been flipped inside his soul, Chad felt the fatigue vanish away like the light of day purging the darkness of night. No longer was his breathing heavy, and no longer did his limbs feel like lead weights. Stopped up was the sweat previously pouring down his face, and in place of fear and worry his soul was filled with conviction and courage.

_If you retreat, you will only grow old!_

"That was faster than I expected," declared Rukia, her eyes scowling and a grin growing upon her lips. "But you are still weak!" Again Rukia leapt into the air, raising her sword in anticipation of another deadly strike.

"Sorry, Rukia," whispered Chad, turning his eyes upwards as she descended closer and closer.

_If you fear…_

Rukia's sword slashed down at the crown of Chad's head, but it did not connect as Chad deftly stepped aside causing her sword to only pass by his ear, his speed beyond anything he had achieved before and certainly faster than Rukia had ever seen him move.

_…You will die!_

"What?" gasped Captain Abarai, as he, Shigeryu, and Aiseki all stood wide-eyed looking onward towards the shocking scene before them. Chad's little katana was extended out, blood slowly sliding down the length of its blade, Rukia falling limply to the ground with her chest slashed open.

"How did he do that?" burst out Shigeryu. "He could barely move before…and then he pulls off something like that?"

Like a ragdoll Rukia landed upon the stonework of the Seireitei gallery, her body trembling from a mixture of pain and surprise – surprise that Chad so suddenly and so quickly reverted back to his old, powerful self with significant upgrades. Chad, however, looked down menacingly; he knew the ways of battle too well to let his guard down, particularly when being attacked by such a talented foe as Rukia Kuchiki. A moment passed, but still Rukia did not get up. Instead, Renji, Shigeryu, and Aiseki all began running over towards them, Aiseki's hand beginning to glow green in preparation for healing.

"The wound is deep!" counseled Shigeryu as the three approached. "You need to stabilize her before we can get a Fourth Squader out here to…"

Chad still did not hesitate fearing a trap, but as he held his vigil all became still, and the three held their positions as though the world had been put on pause. Even the air became silent, filling Chad's senses with an overpowering vacuum of stimuli. In this state only he could move, though just barely due to the suddenness of it all, and as he slowly looked around for a source of this peculiar event the surroundings became dark as pitch. For several minutes this blackness surrounded him, choking out even the faded glimpses of his own hands and fingers, like a cave deep beneath the earth without a candle for light.

"What is happening…?" asked Chad aloud in the void, his voice echoing back to him. "An echo?" Chad tapped his foot downward, feeling the ground below – and in so doing felt the ground slide and give way beneath him.

_This is dirt…_ thought Chad to himself. _It feels like I'm in a void, but in fact I'm really somewhere real…_Cautiously Chad took a step forward, his foot landing safely upon the unseen dirt below, and with this confidence he took another, and another, repeating his steps forward until he came to a wall of some sort before him. Blindly his hands felt the wall, determining it to be stone from the coolness of touch, hardness to his fingernails, and occasional cracks and lines demarking separate pieces.

"Huh?" muttered Chad to himself as his right hand found a depression in the stone, the base of which featured a perfectly smooth, round button as far as his sense of touch could tell. "A button?" Instinctively and without forethought, Chad pressed into the stone button, and effortlessly it sank into the stone wall. Immediately a rumbling tremor arose, growing quickly into a full-blown earthquake, and as this trembling grew beads and lines of light began to appear before him through the wall.

With a heavy thud the stone door completely opened and became still, exposing the realm beyond to Chad's vision. With awe he stepped forward into the scene, his eyes filled with a vision of destruction beneath a grey, clouded sky stretching as far as he could see – thousands of ancient Japanese castles of grey and blue tones lying in ruins, not a single edifice intact and hardly a single timber unscathed and unbroken. As Chad slowly moved onward, each step brought debris beneath each step, and so great was the destruction that Chad could barely breathe.

"What happened here?" he whispered aloud to himself as he looked from side to side, noting the omnipresence of the ruined castles – but as he did so he saw out of the corner of his eyes a difference behind. Turning around Chad saw that the stone doorway standing alone, completely darkened and black inside – but it was not the doorway that caught his attention. Behind, stretching equally as distant as the ruined array of castles were hundreds of stone pyramids, perfectly intact and unblemished.

"These…these are like the pyramids of Mexico!" gasped Chad as he beheld their splendor. As soon as he had taken in the glory of these perfect structures he began to feel drawn to them, and without thinking Chad stepped around the doorway, not even noticing that it had nothing behind it and proceeded into the field of gigantic pyramids.

_I remember seeing these with Abuelo when I was younger…_ thought Chad as he walked around the bases of the pyramids, noting the grand staircases running up the sides to the platforms on top. _Everything seems so real…what is this place?_

"This is your soul, little Yasutora."

Chad whipped around to see a man covered completely in a burlap shroud sitting upon the steps of the pyramid across the dirt road.

"Who are you?" asked Chad forcefully. "What is this place? Where am I? What's going on?"

"Me? I'm nobody," replied the figure, its voice deep and masculine, though its heavy accent was not one Chad was used to hearing after living in Japan for so many years. "This place? Well, I think I just told you. Where are you? Don't you think that's a little silly to ask since this place is where you are? As for what's going on…even I don't really know the answer to that question."

"Your voice seems familiar, but I don't remember from where," said Chad after a moment of considering the figure's words. "You say this is my soul?"

"Your friend Ichigo told you before of his inner spirit," continued the figure in a gruff, strong tone. "For everyone it is different, but for you it seems to be unique."

"Ichigo said his soul was like a silent, lifeless city of tall skyscrapers," wondered Chad as he looked up at the tops of the Mayan-style pyramids. "So I guess for me its these pyramids…"

"Incorrect, little Yasutora!" corrected the figure loudly. "When I first came here, your soul was like the other half of the city – filled with torn down, ruined Japanese castles. Little by little, however, these new pyramids have been replacing them, one every few months or so. It seems like the more confident you become with your inner strength, the faster the replacement; right now, it's about fifty-fifty between the two sides."

"That door that I came in through…" thought Chad suddenly. "If this is my soul, why did it have a button?"

"Well, you see, I'm not an original part of your spirit," said the figure quite proudly. "I had to build something to give myself access to this world, otherwise I wouldn't be able to help you." For a moment Chad stood silent, contemplating the identity of the figure, but this moment was short. The accent, the creativity and resourcefulness, the Mayan pyramids…there was no one else it could be.

"Abuelo!" gasped Chad, his eyes opening wide with tears gathering upon the bottom lids.

"I've waited a long time to see you again with my own eyes," replied Abuelo, standing lifting the shroud off his head, exposing the same tanned, moustached face Chad remembered from his youth in Mexico. "Though to be honest, I'm a little surprised to see you here now that so much has changed."

"Abuelo…I knew it…" wept Chad as he embraced his tall grandfather, though his deep voice showed no deviations from emotion. "I knew you were with me, protecting me and helping me…"

"There, there, little Yasutora," said Chad's grandfather. "I'd love to take months for a reunion, but as you can see things are not quite right in your soul." After a few moments Chad released his embrace and wiped his eyes.

"What do you mean?" he asked. "Are you talking about the pyramids?"

"Yes and no," replied Abuelo, stepping down from the steps and looking out among the jungle of structures. "The way I figure, a person's soul is generally a very stable place; change happens from time to time, but it is very slow and subtle. Your soul, however, has shown exceptional changes even in its very fabric. As you can see you have a part of your soul tied to your Japanese heritage, and a part tied to your Mexican heritage."

"And the pyramids have been increasing and replacing the Japanese castles? But why?"

"I've spent many years pondering that same question," continued Abuelo, now turning and facing his grandson. "Your soul has duality, but it was difficult to find any reason why one side would destroy the other – particularly with the stability and happiness you had in your life in Japan."

"Is it because of you?" asked Chad, to which his grandfather gently smiled before replying.

"That was the first cause I had considered, and to be honest I immediately cast it out as ludicrous. How could I, a foreign body to your spirit, have such a transformative effect upon you? Indeed, I have very little effect on your overall soul, but I hadn't given any consideration to the fact that perhaps I wasn't alone here, and that the changes here were caused by a subconscious power struggle between us."

"Are you saying there was someone else in my spirit?"

"I never even knew it until I saw him for myself," replied Abuelo, drawing a look of shock and a gasp from Chad. "I didn't even stop to consider that your other arm was being formed through the power of someone different from you or me. You see, the changes here were partly because of me, but not directly; the pyramids represent the part of your soul that wishes to be better, while the ruined castles represent what I think may be a troubled past. When you first realized I was inside you, you became stronger and more confident; with that change the pyramids began to appear and grow, pushing out the negative castles.

"But there was this ever-present feeling of resistance against the encroachment; I incorrectly assumed that it was your own inhibitions, little Yasutora, that were holding you back. I was wrong, and I only just recently learned this fact. You have grown to be such a strong, fine young man, and your courage exceeds that of anyone else. There was nothing I could see within your heart that would hold on to the negativity – nothing that is, until he escaped."

"Who is this other person?" pressed Chad, his curiosity growing all while a deep feeling of concern grew within him. "Is it a Hollow like with Ichigo?" Abuelo did not immediately respond; in fact, he was silent for nearly a minute, staring up into the violent, stormy clouds above with a look suggesting he was trying to find the best way to deliver his words.

"He scared the hell out of me."

Chad's stomach wrenched at these words, filling him with a dread he had not often felt in his life. A massive knot welled up in his throat while his fingers began to tremble; he had heard and seen first-hand the horrors that a Hollow trapped in a person's soul could elicit, and he wanted no part in them whatsoever. He wasn't strong enough, nowhere near what he needed to withstand something like the monster inside Ichigo.

"So I have a Hollow in me…?" asked Chad after several moments of this dread.

"I do not know what he is," answered Abuelo rather quickly. "I've seen those Hollows you fight; he didn't seem like them at all. He was different, half a person, but monstrous and angered. Once it got hot in here he shouted out that he was finally free, and like that he was gone."

"Half a person?" asked Chad, noting this peculiar phraseology by his grandfather. "What do you mean?"

"I mean exactly what I said, Yasutora," retorted Abuelo strongly. "Did you not learn that I do not speak meaningless words? He is _half a person_, only half there. It was the strangest thing to behold; when I first saw him, it was from a side view showing his left side only, but once he turned towards my direction…there was nothing there."

"What did the half of him you could see look like? Was there evidence of a bone mask?"

"A mask?" chuckled Abuelo, shaking his head and stepping a few paces away from Chad. "Yasutora, he was covered in terrifying armor from head to foot. He looked like a grey demon, something from one's nightmares. He seemed to not notice me at all, even though he was so close to me, and now he's gone – escaped when you perished in that fire."

"He left my soul?" posed Chad getting more intense in his subpoenas. "Where did he go? How do I find him?" Chad expected a quick response, but none came. Instead, Abuelo stood silent for a moment scowling towards his grandson, looking into his eyes as though trying to ascertain why in the world this boy would want to find such a monster.

"I don't know."

"But…?" started Chad, but as soon as the first iota of sound left his mouth the scene was instantly changed.

"Rukia! Hang in there!"

Below him on the ground of the courtyard, Renji Abarai frantically panicked over Rukia's wounded body – despite the fact that she was sitting up and already bandaged, a Fourth Squad Shinigami present and helping mend her.

"Renji, please, not in my ear!" countered Rukia gruffly, wincing a bit as she strained the bandages on his chest. "I'm going to be fine."

"But…" stammered Renji in protest, but as he did so he noticed that Chad had finally come around. "You! You do this to Rukia, then just stand there for ten minutes like nothing's wrong?"

"I…" started Chad slowly and hesitantly, his mind still embracing the fact that he was back in Soul Society. "I'm sorry, I was caught away into my soul." While Renji wished to further shout at the new Shinigami these words captured both him, Rukia, and the others gathered around, evicting all other concerns from their minds.

"You met your zanpakuto already?" wondered Aiseki with surprise. "This type of test is normally used to draw the lost zanpakuto back to your spirit, after which the sword changes and skill improves. But this sword didn't change; to think that first sword was actually the zanpakuto itself…"

"No, I didn't meet my zanpakuto," interrupted Chad. "Like I told you, I don't have a zanpakuto."

"But your finesse and movement…" suggested Shigeryu from beside Aiseki. "Your movement with that sword in your hands would challenge Captain Kuchiki in speed! And if using that sword caught you away into your spirit, it surely meant your zanpakuto was trying to commune with you."

"That sword and I have nothing in common," disagreed Chad, dropping the empty zanpakuto upon the ground with a rattling clank. "I did meet someone in my spirit, but it wasn't my zanpakuto – it was my Abuelo. He had been giving me power all these years, protecting me and helping me protect others. He did, however, say that someone else had been there, but…" Chad's words halted; while when first told he wished to find the monster spoken of by his Abuelo, he now wished nothing to do with it.

"But…? But what?" pressed Rukia from her seat on the ground. "Who is this other person?"

"He said it was a terrifying monster," replied Chad slowly. "A monster that happily escaped my soul when I died back on Earth." The group became quiet at these words, each pondering silently at their gravity.

"That is unusual behavior for a zanpakuto…" muttered Shigeryu as he looked down towards the ground while rubbing his chin. "To escape the soul – happily at that – would indicate a very poor relationship between shinigami and zanpakuto. However, I can't even think of anything like that happening since way back during the days of Kisaki Shihoin…"

"It might not be a zanpakuto," added Chad, drawing a definite look of concern from his comrades. "It might be a Hollow, like with Ichigo. While I always knew my right arm was powered by my Abuelo's good spirit, I never knew what was in my left arm. After being in Hueco Mundo ten years ago I figured it was something Hollow-like, but until just now I never thought I had an actual monster inside of me."

"Chad…" began Renji softly. "If what you're saying is true, and a monster of great power has been released from your spirit, there is likelihood that this monster is in Soul Society."

"Well, yes, I suppose," replied Chad unsuspectingly.

"If it is here, we must find and destroy it."

Chad was silent for a few moments, all eyes staring upon him waiting for a response, looking into his façade for a sign of his inner feelings. None could be deduced, however; Chad's face had turned completely to stone at Renji's declaration, his eyes staring directly into his, his lips, cheeks, hands, and head all still and unquivering despite a slight breeze which had picked up. These moments endured in tense silence at the prospect of finding a monster, but with a resolute voice and a low tone Chad finally replied.

"I understand."

"How do we find it?" interjected Aiseki. "If something had snuck into Soul Society, surely we would have heard about it?"

"That's true…" mused Rukia from down below as she sat upon the ground, drawing a finger to her lovely round face. "Unless…"

"Unless?" asked Renji.

"Unless it isn't considered an invader," continued Rukia. "Since whatever this is was part of Chad's soul it could have easily entered Soul Society without bringing any attention to itself."

"Well…" said Shigeryu with an annoyed sigh. "As much as it will likely pain all of us, there is only one person we can ask for help finding it." A collective wave of regret suddenly coursed over everyone present including Chad who lowered his face in loathing.

"Damn it…" grumbled Renji frustratedly. "Not him."

**Next: CHAPTER 14 – HALF LIFE**

**BONUS!**

_Remember: important._

_I would like to say once again that, for those of you still following the Bleach manga, I have pretty much given up on Tite Kubo. The Fullbring thing and the whole trend of Bleach have started to suck, and therefore I am continuing with this idea which, to me, MAKES MORE SENSE. Thank you._

Rupert the Infatigable hobbled away across the piles of debris once known as the Kyosaki neighborhood of Karakura Town, his feelings definitely hurt and his pride all but dashed away by his female and ravishing counterpart Rachel the Deathstalker. This blonde bombshell stood menacingly and intimidating, her legs covered down to just above her knee by a fine denim skirt, these slender legs spread apart a bit while her right hand rested upon her waist. Captain Kenpachi Zaraki sat bleeding and broken upon the ground several yards away from her – nevertheless a smile upon his hardened face, his one uncovered eye gleeful at the sight of such a lovely and powerful new foe.

"Curious for you to be smiling at the juncture of your defeat," wondered Rachel allowed, the dulcet, deep alto words leaving her pointed, breathtaking face and entering Kenpachi's ears like a lullaby. "Or is it your way of showing courage before death?"

"Not a chance," replied Kenpachi, the excitement entering his voice and disrupting the normal sound pattern of his speech. "It's a new experience for me; I don't usually fight girls, and I've never come across one who kicks as hard as you do. I'm excited as hell for this!"

"Hmph," grunted Rachel, her eyes now deep blue and no longer glowing as they had been when she first arrived. "Regardless of your apparent sexism, I must commend you for surviving so long against and nearly killing a Phasma Peior, even one as weak and useless as Rupert."

"I dunno, I thought he was pretty good for a newbie," retorted the spike-haired Kenpachi, standing up proudly despite the groaning and screaming of every muscle and bone in his body, the pain instead fueling his desire for battle even further. "And here you kicked his ass without even blinking – you must be pretty damn awesome."

"You have no idea," grinned Rachel, her eyes suddenly lighting up with purple fire, and with a blur she was gone, her left fist colliding hard with Kenpachi's ready and raised zanpakuto. Her force, however, was miles apart from Rupert's; before Kenpachi knew it he was being forced backwards at hundreds of miles per hour, the beautiful blonde pushing him further and further until at last she gave a final throw, knocking Kenpachi back into the air above the nearby river. Without footing Kenpachi had to expend a little extra spiritual energy to stay afloat, his feet sliding against the bare air like pavement.

"Unreal…" he muttered to himself, amazed at the distance Rachel had pushed him back, but this amazement was fleeting as Rachel appeared on the banks of the river, her eyes still seemingly on fire.

"Now you are realizing the terrible state you are in?" asked Rachel from the banks as Kenpachi stood up in midair. "Now you see your doom at hand?"

"Hey, shut up for a second," interrupted Kenpachi, sticking his pinky into his ear and flushing out a piece of earwax. Below Rachel was taken aback by Kenpachi's rudeness, her lips pursing and her face beginning to blush red. "I got a question I'd like to ask you before you kill me."

"Oh?"

"You said that Rupert guy and you were something called Fazma Payore or something," continued Kenpachi. "Never heard of that before, and I'd like to know what it is."

"So you aren't just a big, brainless lump," chided Rachel. "You actually do have some intellect in that big, empty skull of yours. Very well, I seen no harm in telling you, but listen well – since you are about to perish by my omnipotent hands."

"I wouldn't miss it for all the tea in China," mocked Kenpachi back at her.

"We Phasma Peior are the height of spiritual evolution," declared Rachel proudly. "We are those who have shaken off the shackles placed upon us by God's wicked hands, casting aside the weaknesses and limitation inherently placed within our souls. We are they who have progressed beyond the realm of imagination, and our powers exceed even the greatest of all the realms! We serve only our true master, the fair and kind, the understanding and imprisoned! God cast our master, the true Lord of Existence, into a tortuous prison, and we servants live only to serve him! You, Shinigami, and all others stand in our way and will be destroyed – for that is the will of our master."

While to Rachel an appropriate response would be one of shock and awe at her majesty and boldness, only a look of disgust and rage built up on her fair face as Kenpachi yawned and scratched the back of his head at her declaration.

"And here I thought you were gonna say something meaningful," groaned Kenpachi. "Instead you have to get all preachy on me about your idiot master or whatever he is."

"You blasphemous nit!" screamed out Rachel to these words, the violet flames pouring out of her eyes as her soul became incensed with fury. "How dare you speak of my master like that!"

"I'm just saying that if you and that Rupert guy are on some religious quest, you're both done for," continued Kenpachi, now fishing wax out of his other ear. "From what I can tell, you two would be wiped out by Old Man Yamamoto before you could even piss your pants." At this statement Rachel did not respond immediately, instead her psyche calming and devilish grin appearing upon her lips.

"Rupert is nothing compared to me," she said in a low growl. "He is limited to burning his soul for raw energy, whereas I…" Once again Rachel vanished, but this time Kenpachi could not track her until the words reappeared above him.

"…can transform my energy like the gods themselves."

"What?" gasped Kenpachi, turning quickly and raising his sword to block whatever attack was coming, but he was not fast enough as the words had already left Rachel's lips.

"ABYSSAL CLEAVE!"

Rachel swung her arm like a sword towards Kenpachi, and at once the world seemed to end. A bright ribbon of sharp, atom-splitting energy flew out of her arm and upon the Captain, blasting him like an asteroid into the river below where water and earth erupted cataclysmically into the air like an undersea volcano cresting the surface. Rain and rock pelted the city land all around, sending countless bystanders fleeing for their lives while the Sorrow Rachel stood above the fray, frowning down upon the momentarily-empty river bed, all its water being blasted and swept away by the force. There, upon the ground lay Kenpachi, his right arm lying next to his body, his removed right hand still clutching his sword while the main body lay lifeless an still. Upon his unmoving face was an uncharacteristic frown, and within seconds the waves of the river had returned, covering his body from the Sorrow's view.

"A Captain of Soul Society, eh?" wondered Rachel mockingly to herself. "Why in the Hell did the Gemelos think they were a threat anyway?" Without answering herself, Rachel turned around and began walking away, her mid-air footsteps lighting up the air surrounding her feet – but she did not get far before a warbled voice interrupted her from below in the water.

"Don't give up on me now," boomed the voice of Kenpachi, the power of his words overwhelming the silencing nature of the water. "You've made this so much fun… please baby, don't go." Below, a bright yellow flash illuminated the river from horizon to horizon, and with a mighty burst the water was once again thrown away – this time exposing a standing Kenpachi, his sword now held in his left hand, and both his eyes exposed.

"You really have a deathwish, don't you?" asked Rachel, showing no sign of being impressed by Kenpachi sudden and intense increase in strength and power.

"I can't think of any better way to fight," smiled Kenpachi. "But now it's my turn. Dodge me if you can, and if you somehow survive, you should consider marrying me."


End file.
